Chapter 8 2. Defeat Savage Mountain - Lonely Brigade

... The reasons for the disastrous defeat of the Chinese Expeditionary Force can be summed up in three points: 1. There are strategic contradictions between China and the UK, and the UK side has ulterior motives. (slightly) 2. Chiang Kai-shek should bear the greatest responsibility for China to accommodate Britain and the United States and give up command power. (slightly) 3. The dereliction of duty of the generals of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.Both Luo Zhuoying and I are responsible, Luo Zhuoying is even more responsible... My greatest responsibility is that I did not completely fall out with Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying, and did not act arbitrarily... ——Excerpt from Du Yuming's memoir "The Chinese Expeditionary Army's Entry into Burma "Japanese War Strategy"

1 In May in northern Myanmar, the sun is scorching. On the road from Mandalay to Myitkyina in northern Myanmar, the asphalt was baked by the sun, the wheels ran over, and there were many deep and shallow and many messy ruts on the road surface.For the Chinese Expeditionary Force, whose situation is over, the only way to make them feel safe is to return home.The soldiers were carrying heavy weapons under the scorching sun, and the team was like an exhausted gray river, slowly moving along the river valley road. At first, the Chinese army could encounter one or two opportunities to turn west every day, such as "INDIAIMPHAL (India Imphal)-215KM", "INDIAKOHIMA (India Kosima)-278KM", etc.The farther you go north, the fewer the three-way intersections, and the fewer similar road signs, but the Chinese army marching silently seems to turn a blind eye to such opportunities.The soldiers all staggered and looked indifferent, and they crossed these intersections and continued northward without stopping.

There is no force that can stop the pace of Chinese returning home.The spiritual impetus that urges the Chinese to take risks not only comes from the traditional national centripetal force, but also from the will of a certain powerful officer.At this moment, the officer who drove the gray river surging north is buried in the back seat of the jeep and sleepy. For Du Yuming, deputy commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force and commander of the fifth army, in his 20 years of military career, there has never been a more complicated and desolate time than this moment.The Battle of Tonggu missed a good opportunity, the Battle of Mandalay came to naught, Lashio fell, and Stilwell repeatedly ordered the expeditionary force to withdraw to India.On April 30, 1942, Chiang Kai-shek asked Du Yuming again, whether he was sure about withdrawing from the country?Du Da has ordered the main force of the Fifth Army to seize Myitkyina and is expected to succeed.

In fact, Chief Du is not ignorant of the danger of the situation. The reason why he reported this to the chairman is because he understands that the chairman can tolerate a defeated general, but he cannot tolerate the slightest disloyalty from his subordinates.On the question of where to go, as long as he shows a slight hesitation or indecision, it will not be him but someone else who will be sitting the next day. But if the Japanese seized Myitkyina, where would he gain a foothold?Or really just go to India and be a refugee for the British?When he thought of the domineering faces of Alexander and Stilwell, he felt a sense of unwillingness to depend on others...

Suddenly, the air raid sirens sounded. The jeep turned sharply towards a jungle on the side of the road, and Chief Du hit his head on the window, grinning in pain.Soon the roar of aircraft and the sound of machine gun fire came from the sky.Three "Zero" aircraft chased vehicles and crowds over the highway, and the soldiers who were too late to hide fell down like cutting grass.The frightened mules and horses ran wildly, and several cars overturned down the ravine and burst into flames. There was chaos on the highway. When the team gathered again, many dead bodies and damaged vehicles had been added to the road.People carefully move around obstacles.The soldier stared straight at the officer in the jeep, as if warning him that the road was dead.The team marched silently, people's expressions were numb and depressed.Du Yuming suddenly became very angry.He sent someone to find Yu Shao, the commander of the 96th Division, and ordered him to clear the roadblock immediately and bury all the corpses.Chief Du hated the dead, and he could clearly see a lot of frozen ridicule and resentment in the gray eyes of the dead.

A small town appeared ahead. Chief of Staff Yu Youlun gently reminded him: "Sir, Wen Zuo has arrived." Du Yuming opened his heavy eyelids and looked around blankly.Outside the car window, the sun was setting and a thick cloud was pouring out from behind the mountain.In front of the road, there are some high and low red brick walls standing on the hillside, and the steeple of the church is exposed behind the woods.The jeep stopped, and a red and white road sign stood prominently on the side of the road. He knew the English on it without translation, Wenzo, this is the last fork in the road from Myanmar to India.

The sound of aircraft motors was heard again in the air, and a reconnaissance plane painted with red plaster circled a few times and flew away.This shows that the Japanese are monitoring the movements of the Chinese army all the time.In contrast, the Chinese know very little about the enemy's movements. No wonder Chief Du always feels uneasy and panicked. A motorcycle came quickly and sent a telegram to Chief Du.The telegram was sent by the Allied Army Headquarters, announcing that the Japanese army had occupied Bhamo this morning and was continuing to march north.Du Yuming was startled and shivered.

"The chief is camping in Wenzuo tonight." He ordered the chief of staff: "Notify all division and regimental leaders to come to the headquarters to see me immediately." The night covered the Burma-Central Basin, as well as the lifeless Wenzo town.An emergency meeting of the expeditionary force was held in the church.The staff officers lit up the hurricane lamps, and spread out military maps on the table.All the military officers present at the meeting looked solemn, and the atmosphere of the meeting was extremely heavy. Du Yuming first read the call from Chongqing.The chairman instructed the expeditionary force to stick to Bhamo at all costs and cover the main force to return home via Myitkyina.After a brief hesitation, Du Yuming decided to conceal the telegram from the Allied Army Headquarters.He was worried that the news of Bhamo's fall would shake the morale of the army.

However, Major General Sun Liren, the commander of the New 38th Division, immediately raised doubts. "It is reported that Bhamo has fallen today. If the enemy occupies Myitkyina before me, what is the way out for our army?" Sun Liren asked loudly.All divisions here belong to the Fifth Army, but the New Thirty-eighth Division is Song Ziwen's old division, which is organized under the Sixty-sixth Army.At this time, Zhang Zhen, the commander of the army, was fleeing to Baoshan, so Sun Liren refused to obey Du Yuming's orders. "Is Master Sun's news true?" Du Yuming pretended to be very surprised and asked back.He was very annoyed in his heart, but because he was not Sun's direct boss, it was inconvenient for him to attack immediately.

"I just received a notification from Stilwell's staff that the Allied forces have found Japanese tanks south of Myitkyina. They expect the Japanese to occupy Myitkyina before our army." Sun Liren immediately read Stilwell's telegram Once again, this move greatly angered Chief Du. "What's your opinion, Mr. Sun?" Du Yuming asked with a sneer. "I think there is still time to turn westward immediately. If we miss the opportunity, our army will be in a desperate situation." Sun Liren did not show weakness, and replied with his chest held out. Du Yuming glanced at his subordinates: "Among you, who else intends to agree with Mr. Sun's high opinion?"

After a moment of silence, Dai Anlan and Liao Yaoxiang stood up and replied loudly: "We are determined to obey the will of Chairman Jiang and march northward to the death. We have no other intentions." Sun Liren didn't think so, and sarcastically said: "Could it be that the two commanders are determined to stay in Burma to open up a base?" Dai Anlan refuted awe-inspiringly: "I was born as a Chinese soldier and died as a Chinese ghost. I will never go to India to listen to foreigners." "Even if there is nowhere to go, won't you go?" "You're right, I, Dai, would rather die in battle against the Japanese invaders than live by smuggling!" Dai Anlan answered sonorously, as expected of a mighty soldier. Sun Liren didn't intend to argue with them, he just sneered. Du Yuming felt a little bit of revenge, and he scanned the venue again with his eyes: "Who else is willing to follow the example of Mr. Dai?" All the officers stood up and answered loudly: "I would like to follow Chief Du and swear to the death to go north." Du Yuming turned to Sun Liren: "Where does Mr. Sun go?" Sun Liren shook Stilwell's telegram: "I'm sorry, Mr. Du." Du Yuming was furious, this Sun Liren was too arrogant, he dared to bring out Stilwell to fight against him!As soon as Sun Liren arrived in Burma, he had a hot relationship with the Americans. In the eyes of Chief Du, this was no different from rebellion, so he was determined to teach this daring little teacher a lesson. "Mr. Sun, your General Stilwell probably fled to India by plane. Please don't forget that I am the only chief executive here." Du Yuming made no secret of his contempt.He didn't allow Sun Liren to distinguish at all, and issued an order sharply: "According to the telegram from the Commissioner, at this moment when the country is in peril, all our soldiers return to the country with one heart and one mind. This commander ordered: the 200th Division, Commander Dai, will serve as the rear guard and block the enemy east of Wenzuo. The 96th Division Commander Yu served as the vanguard and had to seize Myitkyina within three days and cover the passage of the Commander's Department. Commander Liao of the New 22nd Division, Commander Sun of the New 38th Division, and troops directly under the Military Headquarters were in the middle of the march and followed the Commander's Department. All troops must follow orders without delay, and those who disobey orders shall follow military law." The next day, the Chinese army marched northward in a newly formed battle order.They surged across the small town of Wenzuo, crossed the last three-way intersection turning westward, and rushed towards the doomed north.Sun Liren was caught in the middle of the team and was guarded tightly.That night, a follow-up enemy fought with the 200th Division. In order to buy time for the main force, Dai Anlan took the initiative to lead the battle to the east of Kelin. Another day passed before the desperate Stilwell led his small team to Wenzo.There are various indications that the Chinese army is determined to continue marching northward.So the American general took off his famous old-fashioned combat hat, looked at the overlapping mountains in the north, and muttered to himself in bewilderment: "Could it be that Du... really don't believe that Myitkyina is already a trap?" 2 Myitkyina is located on the west side of the China-Myanmar border, close to Tengchong, Yunnan, and is the terminal point of the Yang (Light)-Myitkyina railway, and it is also the largest city in northern Myanmar. In the early morning of May 8, 1942, a Japanese tank unit appeared on the suburban road of Myitkyina.At the same time, Japanese infantry began to forcibly cross the Irrawaddy River.At 7:00 in the morning, the Japanese army occupied the railway station and the airport at 9:00, and three hours later, a flag of the sun was hoisted high on the top of the city government building.Myitkyina is declared to have fallen. On the 9th, the Yu Shao Division of the 96th Division of the Chinese Expeditionary Force rushed to Menggong, 50 kilometers west of Midina, and was immediately blocked by the Japanese army.They arrived a whole day later than the enemy. On the 10th, the 96th Division stormed Meng Gong, but failed to make any progress.The reinforcements of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army arrived, and batches of Japanese planes swooped down and fired. The expeditionary force continued to be blocked. Du Yuming made another mistake in panic. He ordered the following divisions and troops directly under the army to pass through urgently. On the flank of the 96th Division, spared Meng Gong, "abandoned the car and went up the mountain, entered the mountain to engage in guerrilla warfare with the enemy, and waited for the opportunity to enter the country." (Quoted from "The Chinese Expeditionary Soldiers' Burmese War Against Japan") According to intelligence, there are only two regiments of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army in Myitkyina.The Japanese army was on a long-distance raid and was exhausted. Du Yuming had four main divisions of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and about 60,000 troops directly under his command. With an absolute superiority in fighting to the death, he might be able to survive the encirclement.But Chief Du couldn't make up his mind.Because attacking requires risk and courage, Chief Du would rather choose safe defense and retreat. Since the Anti-Japanese War, the seeds of "Japanese fear" have been deeply buried in the hearts of Chinese officers and soldiers. As soon as the order is issued, the Chinese army will be in chaos without fighting.Officers and soldiers rushed to flee into the mountains, and weapons and luggage were thrown away on the road, everywhere. The voluntary withdrawal of the Chinese army made the Japanese who were waiting in battle very puzzled for a while.Originally, the head of the Watanabe division was not completely sure to block the Chinese, but after a few days, the figure of the Chinese army disappeared in the Hukang Valley inconceivably.The Japanese breathed a sigh of relief, and they were deeply grateful and encouraged by the active retreat spirit of the Chinese. On the 16th, the Yu Shao Department of the 96th Division also broke away from the battle and retreated into the Hukang River Valley. The Japanese army immediately blocked the exit with heavy troops. In this way, the Chinese army, like a behemoth in panic, automatically got into the trap set by the hunters. Facing Officer Du's obvious panic and command mistakes, Sun Liren, the commander of the New 38th Division, finally stood up and disobeyed. On the afternoon of the 10th, when all the units of the expeditionary force abandoned their chariots and supplies and retreated to the deep mountains and old forests in the Hukang River Valley under the cover of the 96th Division, Du Yuming received a report from Commander Liao of the New 22nd Division: Sun Liren's team did not follow up. come up. Du Yuming was taken aback.He raised his binoculars and looked towards the Menggong Highway, which was full of gunfire.He clearly saw that instead of obeying the order to abandon the car and go up the mountain, the team of the New 38th Division regrouped on the road, then turned around and drove in the opposite direction.Thick smoke was billowing on the road, and tanks, armored vehicles, artillery vehicles, and cars discarded by the military headquarters were full of infantry from the New 38th Division. Of course Du Yuming understood what Sun Liren was going to do.He threw down the binoculars, wanted to call the radio station of the 38th Division, and shouted into the microphone angrily: "Mr. Sun?...Hey, I order you to stop acting without authorization and move closer to me immediately. Did you hear that? The New 22nd Division will be your support...I order you to stop retreating and return at all costs Country gate!" Sun Liren's voice of feigned surprise came from the noisy microphone, and the voice was as relaxed as an outsider. "Hello...Deputy Commander Du? I didn't act on my own...I was heading south, not retreating...I have received orders from General Stilwell and Chief Luo to withdraw my troops and equipment to India go." Du Yuming felt his temples throbbing and tingling, and the blood rushed straight to his head.He wished he could kill Sun Liren.It's just that there is nothing you can do right now, so you can only suppress your anger and say: "Mr. Sun still puts the interests of the party and the country first. Let's go back to China immediately with the military. I am the chief executive here. Please, Mr. Sun, stop making decisions on your own." Sun Liren had no intention of bringing his team back under Deputy Chief Du's command.His answer was crisp and clear: "Since Deputy Commander Du is determined to abandon his car and go up the mountain, I don't think there is any need to force it. Besides, General Stilwell and Commander Luo have given orders first, and I, as a junior division commander, can't afford to disobey orders. The rainy season in Burma is coming soon." , I have to set off immediately. I also wish Deputy Chief Du take care and have a smooth journey." The radio station clicked and hung up, leaving a series of monotonous electric frequency echoes in the microphone.Du Yuming was so angry that his hands were shaking, he could completely imagine Sun Liren's triumphant horse face.Sun Li kept saying that he didn't dare to disobey Shi and Luo's orders. Could it be that he dared to disobey the orders of Deputy Chief Du? ! From then on, Sun and Du formed indissoluble grievances.Their lawsuit has been going on for many years. Sun Liren was not in a calm mood. Sun Liren, courtesy name Zhonglun, was born in Lujiang, Anhui, in a family of officials.He has received a good education since childhood.Graduated from Tsinghua University, went to the United States in the same year, studied in the Department of Civil Engineering of Purdue University, and received a Bachelor of Science.He was later admitted to West Point Military Academy, where he is an alumnus of the famous American generals George Marshall, Eisenhower, Mac Arthur, George Patton Jr. and Stilwell.After graduating in 1927, he was invited to travel to Europe to inspect the military affairs of Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. He was one of the few Westernization soldiers among the Kuomintang generals at that time. The predecessor of the New 38th Division was the China Tax Police Headquarters founded by Finance Minister Song Ziwen. The weapons were purchased from the United States, and most of the officers above the platoon were served by students studying in the United States.Because this army is well-equipped and advanced weapons, it has been coveted by the military leader Dai Li, trying to annex it.The division commander Sun Liren was forced to leave the team for a time.He always took this lesson to heart. He could no longer be at the mercy of others. The result of contradicting Du Yuming made him face two risky choices: if the breakout failed, he would be tried for disobedience; even if the breakout was successful, he might still be criticized from above and be dismissed.Because resisting Chief Du also means being disloyal to the Chairman. Sun Liren is such a soldier: he is deeply influenced by the West, values ​​honor, worships Napoleon, and pays attention to the development of personality and self-awareness.He is highly motivated, which often displeases his superiors.During the Songhu Anti-Japanese War and the Wuhan Battle, he commanded troops not only to complete defensive tasks, but also often took the initiative to attack and won partial victories many times. At the same time, he was reprimanded by the army commander many times. Experience told him that there was a price to be paid for his bold disobedience and pulling the team to India, but reality forced him to do so, life and death were at stake, and he had no choice. The cavalry roared and the chariot rumbled. On the 300-kilometer highway from Menggong to Wenzuo, Sun Liren personally led more than 10,000 officers and soldiers of the New 38th Division to march southward.Braving the bombing and strafing of enemy planes in the air and the chasing and intercepting by the Japanese army on the ground, they broke through the siege quickly with the courage to die and the determination to break through. On the evening of May 11, 1942, the first battalion of the Sun Division encountered a search brigade of the Japanese army in Nanma.The Japanese army blocked the vehicles on the road and occupied the houses to forcibly block them.While commanding the chariot to bombard the enemy, Sun Liren got out of the chariot and led the soldiers to clear the roadblocks.It only took the whole division 40 minutes to kill a bloody road, and then marched southward without stopping. On the 12th, the division once again encountered a Japanese regiment.Relying on the advantage of artillery fire, the Japanese army rushed forward aggressively.Sun Liren's clothes were torn, and his arms were wrapped with bandages.He jumped out of the tank, picked up a submachine gun, and shouted to the soldiers: "When you meet on a narrow road, the brave wins. Life and death, this battle—go!" Tanks and armored vehicles spit out flames, and tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers who fought to the death shouted, and their division commanders followed closely to launch a countercharge against the enemy.The two armies fought hand-to-hand for a whole day, and the Japanese army was defeated.When it got dark, the Chinese army left more than a thousand corpses of officers and soldiers who could not be buried, and marched southward tragically across the battlefield in the dark.In the following two days, they defeated the Japanese army for many times in a row, and finally arrived at Wenzuo before the enemy's main force encircled them. Sun Liren finally dominated his own destiny with unprecedented courage.He not only saved the whole teacher, but also himself. Half a month later, the New 38th Division arrived at Sibang on the Indian border, taking in thousands of Burmese refugees and Indian stragglers along the way.Unexpectedly, the Indian defenders refused to enter the division as if they were facing an enemy.British border officials have suggested that Chinese troops must be disarmed to enter India as refugees.Sun Liren put on a brand new major general uniform and went to negotiate.When he stepped into the headquarters of the garrison division in Xibang Town, he couldn't help being overjoyed. It turned out that this unit was the first division of the British and Indian Army that the New 38th Division had rescued in Ren'anqiang.The bearded British teacher jumped up and hugged him in surprise, and shouted repeatedly, "Sorry! Sorry! (Sorry)" The next day, all the officers and soldiers of the New 38th Division drove into India energetically after scrubbing the vehicles and tidying up their military appearance.The guard of honor of the British and Indian troops played music and fired ten cannons as a sign of welcome. So far, the Allied forces participating in the Burma operation, including the three armies of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, the three divisions of the British India and Burma, and the five independent brigades, have all suffered defeats to varying degrees.Only the New Thirty-eighth Division did not lose a single battle, broke through decisively at critical moments, and evacuated safely. The gains outweighed the losses. Division commander Sun Liren commanded well and was highly praised by General MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Asia, and was awarded a US Congressional Medal. 3 Contrary to the fate of the new 38th Division is the 200th Division, the favorite of the Chinese army. As soon as the northward retreat began, the 200th Division was entrusted with the important task of acting as a rear guard.The division commander, Dai Anlan, was an unwavering supporter of returning home. All officers and soldiers of the division united as one and followed the division commander back home.Dai Anlan, who was born in the third stage of Whampoa, is different from Sun Liren who studied in the United States. He does not understand foreign languages ​​and is not interested in foreigners.He is the chairman's direct descendant, he has always been relied on by the chairman, and he has nothing but loyalty to the chairman. After the Tonggu War, Chiang Kai-shek flew from Chongqing to Lashio to arrange the Battle of Mandalay.As soon as the old man got off the plane, he put Dai Anlan on his left and right, and asked him to have dinner with him.What flattered Dai Anlan the most was that the headmaster stayed with him at night to have a long talk. Among the Kuomintang generals, there were not many people who were lucky enough to receive such favor. Needless to say, the Kuomintang soldiers grew up in the double cracks of civil war and fighting against insults (not aggression!). Although they do not have the sense of honor and passion for foreign expansion of Western soldiers, they have a deeper understanding of officialdom and the way of power. comprehend and experience.China's history and reality did not teach them how to make the country rich and powerful, but turned them into a group of warlords and careerists, big and small.This is the reason why the Chinese army is an outsider in civil wars. On May 10, 1942, after the main force of the expeditionary force was forced to flee into the Hukang River Valley, the 200th Division was separated by the enemy and lost contact with the military headquarters.Master Dai resolutely decided to find another way, and turned to the mountainous areas of north-central Myanmar to fight guerrillas, waiting for an opportunity to enter the border. But the facts quickly proved that Myanmar is not China, and the idea of ​​fighting guerrillas in Myanmar is simply not feasible. First of all, the Chinese army has two lives, and the language is barrier.Second, the Burmese independence movement is flourishing and in full swing.The Burmese hated the British, and naturally hated the British's accomplices, the Chinese.Not only did the Chinese get no help, but their whereabouts were reported to the Japanese army everywhere, so they were caught in a predicament of being passively beaten almost from the beginning. On May 18th, the 200th Division passed through the Cell (Mogu) Highway in two ways, and the avant-garde troops were suddenly ambushed. Dai Anlan ordered the adjutant: "Pass my order, disperse and break through, and meet at Jiangao Mountain, north of Bhamo." "Master seat!" Zheng Tingji, the deputy commander, hastily dissuaded: "The breakout target is too big during the day, should we wait until night to act?" Dai Anlan turned around suddenly, and Zheng Tingji saw that the teacher's face was full of tears. "Brother Tingji, now I, Dai Anlan, am a tiger in Pingyang, so I have to break through." Dai Anlan raised his head to the sky and screamed with grief: "I think it was just like this when Guan Yunchang was defeated and left Maicheng. I am the second hundred The master has fallen into such a field, it is my death! Burma is not a place to stay for a long time, today either the fish will die or the net will be broken!" The charge horn blew, and thousands of Chinese soldiers bravely rushed to the road and hills with their bayonets in hand.The Japanese machine guns, rifles, and cannon fire wove a thick net of fire. The scorching rain of bullets whizzed like a huge sickle, cutting down groups of Chinese soldiers by their waists, unable to get back up again.After a day of fierce fighting, the 200th Division suffered more than half of the casualties before tearing a gap from the east hillside, and the remaining officers and soldiers were able to escape from death. Unfortunately, Dai Anlan was seriously injured when he broke out, and a machine gun bullet hit him in the abdomen.Zheng Tingji led people to rescue the teacher in time, covering him while fighting and retreating.After sunset, the remnants of the 200th Division finally got rid of the enemy's pursuit. Carrying the unconscious commander and the military flag riddled with bullet holes, they tragically disappeared into the forests and canyons west of Bhamo in the dusk.On the battlefield behind them, piles of bloody corpses were left behind.The savage howls of the Japanese massacring the wounded came again and again.These tragic scenes became a nightmare forever in the memory of Chinese soldiers. Three days later, Tokyo Radio announced that the invincible Imperial Army had wiped out the 200th Division of the Chinese ace force in northern Burma.The division commander Dai Anlan was killed, 5,000 officers and soldiers of the division were wiped out, countless guns, mules, horses and ammunition were captured, and so on. In late May, the officers and soldiers of the 200th Division who broke through the encirclement arrived at the assembly point on the China-Myanmar border one after another, leaving less than 3,000 people in the division.This bruised team carried their dying division commander to play hide-and-seek with the Japanese in the mountains of northern Myanmar. Historical Records: "...the whole division's food has been cut off long ago. A battalion commander found a bowl of porridge from the local villagers and gave it to Dai Anlan. He just took a sip, looked around, and burst into tears." (Quoted from "Biography of Dai Anlan" ) In late May, the 200th Division arrived at a Kachin village called Mao Bang.Dai Anlan suddenly regained consciousness.He asked his subordinates to arrange his clothes for him, helped him to look north, and murmured many vague words.Someone tried to tell him that the frontier was in the east and not in the north, but it was no use, because he couldn't hear anything. Dai Anlan returned to the light. In the evening, a generation of famous anti-Japanese generals withered in the barren mountains of Myanmar.He was only thirty-eight years old. Coincidentally, this day happened to be the day when another new 38th Division of the Chinese army arrived safely at the Indian border.Comparing the two, the fate is very different, which makes people feel emotional. Since then, the remnant of the 200th Division has been carrying the remains of the division commander, going through untold hardships, going back and forth in the mountains, valleys and virgin forests on the Sino-Myanmar border, leaving the bones of countless victims along the way.A month later, they finally crossed the Gaoligong Snow Mountain and entered the border, and were escorted back to the country by the guerrillas. The deeds of Master Dai Anlan's heroic martyrdom aroused great repercussions in China.For the Kuomintang in power, they need to inject stimulants to the people from time to time to cheer up the people. Specifically, they need to set some heroic examples to boost morale, so as to inspire the national spirit and lofty aspirations of serving the country loyally.For the people, heroes are their confidence and hope in the war of resistance.Therefore, after extensive publicity by the news media and newspapers, Mr. Dai's undead was admired by all people as a model and model of anti-Japanese heroes. Starting from Baoshan, Yunnan, the government mobilized thousands of people from all districts, townships and counties along the way to Kunming, the provincial capital, to welcome and send off the hero's coffin. Local officials all wore black veils and went to the main road to wait.In this way, the officers and soldiers of the 200th Division have also become heroes in people's minds.This massive ceremony intensified, and in Anshun, Guiyang, Liuzhou, and Guilin, the cities were deserted by thousands of people, and the guard of honor became more and more luxurious.The faces of the people were beaming, but there was no expression of grief at all. Mr. Dai was finally buried in Quanzhou. In October of that year, the U.S. government awarded the widow a Congressional Medal by President Roosevelt. The following year, the Chongqing government held an unprecedented scale memorial meeting in Quanzhou, Guangxi, and representatives from all walks of life in the rear participated.CCP leaders Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Deng Yingchao, etc. also wrote elegy, words, and couplets to express their condolences.Mao Zedong's elegy said: General Seagull Foreign aggression needs people to defend, and the general Fu Caiwei. The teacher called mechanization, won Xiong Weiwei. The bloody east paw guards, and the Japanese clothes are driven away. He died on the battlefield, and his ambition was not violated. Zhou Enlai's elegy: The hero of Huangpu, the hero of the nation. Chiang Kai-shek's precepts at the memorial meeting said: "Mr. Dai Gu was martyred for the country. Although his body died, his spirit will last forever in the universe. He is a model for Chinese soldiers." The Chongqing government issued an order approving Dai's posthumous posthumous status as a lieutenant general from the major general of the army, and allowed his honorary name to be enshrined in the martyrs' shrine in the capital, as well as in the martyrs' shrine in the province, city and county. In September 1956, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Central People's Government ratified Dai Anlan as a revolutionary martyr. General Dai Anlan's name goes down in history. 4 Hukang River Valley means "the place where the devil lives" in Burmese.It is located in the northernmost part of Myanmar, and to the north is the snow-capped Himalayas. The East and West are surrounded by towering and Hengduan Mountains.Due to the dense forests and rampant miasma in the Hukang River Valley, it is said that savages once appeared, so the locals collectively call this uninhabited area with a radius of hundreds of miles "Savage Mountain". In May, a few days after the expeditionary army's chief and its direct subordinate troops fled into Savage Mountain, the 96th Division, which was in charge of the vanguard, also got rid of Meng Gong's enemies and abandoned their vehicles to go up the mountain.But they soon lost their way and lost contact with the Minister's Ministry.They walked for ten days in the dark and damp forest on the path of wild animals, and finally came to a mythical and isolated place.There are only a few indigenous families here, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.The sky is high and the clouds are light, as if it has come to the end of the world.The names of the places could not be found on the map, and they could not understand the indigenous language, so we could only guess that they had arrived at the foot of the Himalayas.The team had no choice but to live in this paradise, relying on hunting, fishing and gathering wild fruits to barely maintain the half-starved and half-satisfied primitive life. Fortunately, more than half a month later, a passing US military plane accidentally found these ragged Chinese in the folds of the roof of the world.Soon, transport planes from the Indian airport arrived here, dropping large quantities of food, medicine, tents and warming items.Hungry Chinese officers and soldiers grabbed the American cans and compressed biscuits that fell from the sky, and many people died of swelling at once.Since then, planes have regularly dropped food and supplies, and in one case three brave U.S. liaison officers who brought radios and codes to keep the unit in touch with headquarters. Later, the unit survived the terrible rainy season relying on air support, and then, under the leadership of Tibetan guides, they crossed the Baima Snow Mountain and returned to China through the edge of Tibet. In this way, only Deputy Chief Du and about 35,000 Chinese officers and soldiers under his command were trapped in the Savage Mountain and resigned to their fate. In any case, fleeing into the deep mountains and old forests finally got a respite.The Japanese were thrown out of the mountains, and the danger was temporarily eliminated. Now Chief Du can calmly consider how to get out of these mountains and return to China. Unfortunately, crises came frequently: food ran out, medicines ran out, and hunger began to threaten the team of more than 30,000 people.The only radio station fell into the abyss together with the operator, and they cut off all contact with the outside world since then. But as the saying goes, "there is no way out of the sky".The guide heard from the locals that there is a small road leading to India in Savage Mountain.The rainy season has not yet come. If you hurry up, you can expect to reach the Indian border in about a month. Chief Du was furious. If you go to India now, why insist on going north?Besides, what would the chairman think of Du Yuming?Once Chief Du got angry, no one dared to mention the word "India" in front of him ever since.So the Chinese army, who had nowhere to go, had no choice but to turn around in the Savage Mountain in vain, trying to find a gap to get out of the devil's palace. The miracle never happened. People started falling.The food panic shook the morale of the army, and the soldiers left the ranks to look for food in order to fill their stomachs.In a valley called Bupaboom, the soldiers found a cottage of an aboriginal tribe. They fired guns and drove away the frightened half-dead aboriginals. clean.Many people fought over a morsel of food. Chief Du had no choice but to make a compromise and live up the mountain temporarily to serve as the leader of the tribe. But how can a small village support tens of thousands of hungry troops? Within a few days, people who were dizzy with hunger were like those locusts in the desert, all over the mountains and plains looking for food. "Hungry does not choose food".During the day, hungry soldiers searched for everything that could be called food in the ravines and forests: wild fruits, fungi, plant tubers, and wild plantains.People hunted birds, frogs, rats, snakes, dug out beehives and ant nests, and even hungry people devoured animal excrement.In short, regardless of whether these foods are delicious or hygienic, anything that can be eaten has become the object of people's search and competition. At night, the sky and the earth are dark, and you can't see your fingers.In the animal-infested woods, beside the stream, there are ghostly figures lurking everywhere.People held loaded rifles, their eyes flashed with the hunger of beasts, anxiously expecting their prey to hit the muzzle of their guns.When the sudden sound of gunfire broke the silence of the forest, the lucky hunters could indeed encounter a wild boar or muntjac, so people happily surrounded the prey and went down the mountain.But it didn't take long for people to be unwilling to share the fruits of victory with the people in the village.Because there are fewer and fewer prey on the mountain.Later, as soon as the gunshots rang out, people lit a bonfire on the mountain, divided the bloody prey into countless portions, and then swallowed up the skin and meat.When the people in the cottage found that there was no more animal meat brought down from the mountain, they sent many officers to the mountain to supervise and severely punish those soldiers who dared to divide the prey without authorization. The conflict between the weak and the strong and the competition for survival thus escalated rapidly. Sometimes the officers arrived at the sound of the shots before the soldiers had time to hide their prey.The soldiers were empty-handed, watching the prey being robbed, and naturally refused to give up.As a result, conflicts occurred every day on the mountain, and incidents of mutual fire and missing officers also emerged in endlessly. Even those days don't last long.Greater misfortune is coming soon. In June, locals talk about the rainy season when the tiger changes color. The warm and humid air that has accumulated at the high altitude of the Indian Ocean for a whole winter is stirred by the strong southwest monsoon, like ten thousand mighty armadas, rushing aggressively into the clear sky of the South Asian subcontinent. The sun in Myanmar disappeared instantly, rolling The dense clouds are like heavy mountains pressing down on the roofs of cities and villages.The ferocious rain lashed the ground and the river like a whistling long whip.Roads were washed away, bridges were swept away, and low-lying lands became an ocean.In the Hukang River Valley, the flood engulfed all the valleys and plains overnight, and the fleeing people and animals were swept away by the turbid waves in a blink of an eye.The thunder sounded like a war drum, and the ball lightning bombarded the ancient virgin forest time and time again, splitting the thousand-year-old tree into two pieces. Nature showed a ferocious face. In a simple bamboo building in Bupapur's native village, Du Yuming was lying half-lying by the firepit, drowsy.In less than a month, the majestic Chief Du looked like a different person: haggard, listless, and his frayed clothes were filthy.In the hanging pot on the firepit, a bowl of wild wild pork and plantain roots was simmering.朝湿的柴草不时腾起浓烟，呛得长官虚弱的肺部爆发出一阵阵猛咳。 他患了可怕的回归热。 雨季一到，凶恶的疟蚊就不分白天黑夜地向人类发起进攻，把病毒和疟原虫散播在他们的血液中。一连数日，高热和高寒轮番地折磨着这位长官，时而如熬炎夏，时而如坠冰窟。他不吃不喝，并开始出现谵语和昏迷。医官们全都焦急万分束手无策，部下们唯一能够表达的忠诚是：让长官面前那口吊锅里始终煨着最好的食物。 现在，大难临头的杜长官只好听天由命。他喘息着，同病魔苦苦搏斗。 暴风雨还在猛烈地摇撼着这幢简陋的竹楼，仿佛要把它连根拔起。 突然轰隆隆一声巨响，外面传来许多乱糟糟的奔走和喊叫声，仿佛世界末日来临一般。杜聿明蓦然一惊，清醒过来。 卫队长常恩国水淋淋地奔进来，报告说医院竹楼倒坍，压死许多伤病员。杜聿明听了，黯然神伤，吩咐把幸存的伤病员搬进自己的竹楼来。 常队长面有难色，劝阻道：“长官，那些伤员有好几百，再说你自己的病也不轻呀。” 参谋长和医官也纷纷劝阻。杜聿明神色凄凉，仰天长叹： “莫非我第五军注定要葬身这片不毛之地么？”语罢大哭。 常队长捧起那只碗，小心翼翼劝道“长官，请你务必保重身体，还是吃一口东西吧。俗话说留得青山在，不愁没柴烧，如果派出的人和那边联系上……” “我不吃，不吃！这算什么饭，看了都让人恶心！”杜长官猛一抬手打翻了碗，然后恨恨地咆哮道：“那个美国佬巴不得我死了，好把你们都拉到印度去听他指挥！——我偏不去！我宁可死在这里也不去！” 人们噤若寒蝉。只有那碗野猪肉在火堆里烧着了，散发出一阵阵焦糊的香味。 杜聿明又发起高烧来。 军官们焦急地围在昏迷不醒的杜长官身边。 参谋长问军医：“还能找到什么药品吗？” 军医摇头：“奎宁早没有了，连最后一针镇静剂也给长官注射了。” 参谋长：“难道无法可想了吗？” 军医：“办法倒有一个，可是危险很大……放血！” 参谋长看一眼骨瘦如柴的杜长官，毅然决定道：“干吧，只好试一试……天命难为啊。” 军医给病人手腕割开一条口，放出许多污血，然后又从别人身上抽出健康血液源源输进病人血管。这种换血的土方法果然起了作用，暂时延缓了杜长官的性命。两天后，当他从死亡边缘挣扎回来时，那位忠心耿耿的常队长却因抽血后不幸染上了败血症，瘁然死亡。 雨季给孤立无援的人群带来更加巨大的灾难。 滂沱大雨使天地改变了模样，到处山洪暴发，道路断绝。动物都躲起来，鸟兽绝迹，人们只好天天蹲在山洞里，靠着剥树皮挖草根填塞肚皮。 每天都有人倒毙，死亡和失踪人数直线上升。魔鬼慢慢扼住了中国人的喉咙，要把他们化为一摊血水。 5 一个暂短的晴天无意中将幸运之神的目光投向困在野人山的受难者。 一架执行任务的美军侦察机偶然在丛林上空发现了烟火，那是一群中国士兵正在熏马蜂。于是天黑之前，一队美军运输机急急忙忙飞到布帕布姆山投下许多降落伞。这些物品中不仅有食物和药品，还有雨衣，帐篷和一架电台。受尽磨难的人们绝处逢生，这天晚上，这支失踪已久的孤旅终于同外界恢复了联系。 Chongqing. 蒋介石正在陪宋氏姐妹打麻将。他手气不错，兴致勃勃地把象牙骨牌碰得哗啦啦响。 侍从室主任钱大钧悄悄进来，附耳低语：“委座，杜聿明找到了。” 蒋介石无动于衷。他摸起一只“东风”刚要出，突然又缩手回来。宋美龄叫道： “大令，打的牌可不许赖呀！” 蒋介石呵呵大笑，把牌推倒： “我搁牌了。三元会——满贯。你们不信？” 他转向钱大钧，不耐烦地说： “叫他到印度去。告诉他，我不愿意看到他们埋在缅甸。” 灰色的大军终于又开始移动起来。但是这次不是朝北而是向西。 一阵阵凄厉的军号像喇嘛招魂一样将一群群衣衫褴褛的幸存者从四面八方的山洞和树林里召唤出来。他们全都半死不活骨瘦如柴，走路摇摇晃晃。但是他们还是听从了来自重庆的命令，顶着暴风雨踏上通往印度的苦难历程。 美国飞机的出现无疑改变了中国军队的命运。每逢天空短暂放晴或者云层稀薄的时候，大批美军运输机就循着电台的指引蜂拥而至。有次飞机还投下几名美国军医，他们也加入徒步行军的队列，并且有效地帮助中国官兵打退疾病的猖狂进攻。 然而形势未见乐观。 对行军者来说，雨季翻越凶险无比的野人山的确是件冒险的事。没有道路，队伍劈路前进，日行二三英里；洪水阻道，有时一连数日皆不能行。行军极大地消耗人们的体力，磨蚀他们的意志。虚弱的士兵常常往路边一坐，就再也战不起来。 军部某卫士班，散宿于林中，次日晨起，皆不见归队。连长觉得不妙，急忙派人寻找，只找到白骨若干。原来一班人皆成过路巨蚁之肉俎。巨蚁者，热带丛林之灾星也。食肉，性凶猛，猛兽蛇蝎皆避之唯恐不及。 机枪兵许某，腹痛，循入草丛大便，半日不出。同乡者呼之，不应。赫然看见许某枯缩于地，已被蚂蟥吸干多时。 某工兵排，奉命搭桥，皆无踪影。营长闻讯大惊，亲往察看。原来工兵误入沼泽，蚂蟥翻涌，成千上万，工兵尽成骷髅矣。热带蚂蟥为世界所罕见者，体长盈尺，粗若棒槌，附于牛马之躯，一次可吸血斤许。 相传杜聿明为瘴气熏倒，昏迷不醒，全军官兵因此延误行军二日。“瘴气”者并非气体，而是由亿万细小毒蚊组成的灰黑雾阵，远看如烟，如霭，常麇集于水洼潮湿之地，遇有人畜惊动，便群起而攻之。后来有人发明采集野艾扎制的火把驱蚊，队伍才免遭伤害…… 当最后一名东倒西歪的中国士兵在一九四二年八月的亚热带太阳照耀下走出丛林，走出苦难的胡康河谷和野人山，走进和平宁静的印度小镇利多时，历时半年的缅甸之战才以盟军免遭覆灭和千难万险的撤退终告成功而结束。陆续抵达印度的远征军番号计有军直属部队五个团和新二十二师，总人数不足一万。他们与先期到达的新三十八师一起改称中国驻印军，留在印度中北部的兰姆伽基地接受整训。杜聿明奉命回国述职。他坐了半年冷板凳，然后又重新升任第五集团军总司令，坐镇昆明。 根据战后盟军公布的档案材料，中国远征军入缅兵员为十万人，伤亡总数达六万一千余人，其中有近五万人是在撤退途中自行死亡或者失踪的。盟军伤亡及被俘约一万五千人。日本政府公布的盟军阵亡名单（含失踪）比较保守，为二千四百三十一人