nycdaug Chapter 175: Bridge Defense (9)
Chapter 175: Bridge Defense (9)
Matsui proposed to Watanabe Masao that the 56th Division withdraw gradually. His plan was: the 56th Division would gradually withdraw, with the commander ordering the security forces along the route to accept the 56th Division's command. Then, part of the 56th Division would be combined with the security forces' squadrons and battalions. These would fight under the guise of the 56th Division, while the core troops of the 56th Division would quietly withdraw and advance along the eastern Burma route toward Thailand. Thailand was Japan's only ally in Southeast Asia. The 56th Division would use Thailand as a transit point and then head back to the country without stopping, thus directly separating from the Burma Front.
Matsui's suggestion resonated deeply with Watanabe Masao, and the two immediately discussed the details. They decided that the 56th Division's heavy artillery and mechanized units would not be able to be taken with them, so they would select some key personnel from them and transfer them under the pretext of establishing new units. The remaining personnel would contribute to the division's future.
The Japanese 56th Division was on the move, and Mutaguchi Ren'ya was also making the same plan. He asked his confidant, Colonel Orifuchi, to organize a group of key personnel and quietly evacuate. His plan was also to break away from the Burmese Front and return to the mainland directly by ship from Thailand.
After many twists and turns, Zhibu Dengguchi returned to the 18th Division. Over the past year, he had been promoted from colonel to lieutenant colonel and then to colonel. He was originally the commander of the main regiment, but now he is only the chief of staff of the 18th Division (equivalent to the chief of operations). Fortunately, his old boss did not forget him, and now he has been entrusted with the important task of rebuilding the 18th Division in the future. He was so moved that his eyes were filled with tears. With the spirit of swearing allegiance until death, he bowed deeply to Mutaguchi Ren'ya and hurriedly arranged the action.
He didn't know that after he left, Mutaguchi Ren'ya's gaze shone a cold, ruthless coldness at his back. Mutaguchi Ren'ya was no Watanabe Masao, and he lacked a directive from mainland China. He intended to use Orifu Tsudaguchi and the current 18th Division commander, Hashimoto Jusanrō, to create an excuse and take the blame for the 28th Army's defeat in northern Burma! The plot would unfold: Hashimoto, driven by personal gain, disobeyed military orders and evaded the best of his troops, leading to chaos and ultimately defeat, and the complete collapse of the 28th Army in northern Burma. As for Orifu Tsudaguchi, he would commit suicide in apology after exposing Hashimoto in Thailand, and Mutaguchi Ren'ya would have safely avoided imperial sanctions.
At the Bhamo Bridge battlefield, Jiuben received an ambiguous message from the division commander. Although he didn't quite understand it, he sensed something was amiss. He quietly called Kumu aside, and the two of them quietly discussed a response. Kumu had already analyzed the message, concluding that the battlefield in northern Burma had undergone a dramatic change. The division commander's message was an invitation for the 87th Regiment to find an opportunity to escape. However, whether or not they could escape was another matter. If the bridge was not captured or destroyed, Jiuben and himself would be scapegoats.
Kuki's explanation finally made Sakusaku understand. "Baka! They're all pigs, all idiots, scum of the Empire!" Sakusaku Toichiro remained expressionless, yet he cursed internally. It was neither right to fight nor wrong to not fight. Most importantly, the 87th Regiment couldn't retreat along the highway. Retreating to Myitkyina would be a trap. However, surrounded by high mountains and dense forests, the 87th Regiment had virtually no chance of escape unless they abandoned their baggage and crossed the dense jungle on foot.
Seeing Jiuzuo's hesitation, Ku Mu knew he was also trying to find a reasonable excuse to escape. He came up with a plan and whispered in Jiuzuo's ear, "Captain, I have a plan that will give us a chance to escape."
Jiuzuo immediately asked, "Mr. Kumu, if you have any plan, please tell us quickly. We are one now, so there is no need for so many taboos."
Ku Mu pretended to hesitate and said, "If this plan is exposed, we will probably be subjected to ruthless punishment from the Empire. Will you continue to listen, Master Jiu Zuo?"
Jiuben paused, not responding immediately. He pondered, wondering if Kumu was planning to surrender. That didn't make sense. If we surrendered, the Empire wouldn't have the chance to punish us. This Kumu wasn't even a warrior for the Empire. His legacy as a second-class citizen remained unchanged. But Jiuben couldn't think of a better solution. He didn't want to surrender, and he didn't want to die. So, let's hear what Kumu's plan was.
Jiu Ben also pretended to trust Ku Mu and said, "Mr. Ku Mu, you can say whatever you want. I will never take it to heart."
Seeing that the time had come, Ku Mu stopped talking and said in a very low voice, "We can make a deal with them."
Jiuben was shocked and stood up suddenly. He asked hesitantly: "What kind of deal is it and how do we do it?"
Since Jiuzuo didn't sound particularly opposed to this, Kumu first analyzed the situation from both sides before explaining his plan to Jiuzuo. Kumu had intended to strike a deal with the enemy. They would pretend the bridge had been blown up by the 87th Regiment, which would then suffer heavy losses. Enemy reinforcements would arrive, forcing the 87th Regiment to evacuate. To ensure a smooth retreat, they abandoned their baggage and retreated south along the Irrawaddy River. Only a small number of men managed to escape. Of course, these few were likely Jiuzuo and Kumu's closest associates. The rest were either directly betrayed or quietly killed along the way.
Jiusaku had no hesitation in betraying his subordinates, just like how he treated the remnants of the 115th Division's regiment. He believed that as long as these cannon fodder returned to the military headquarters, he would be given more cannon fodder.
What Jiusaku was thinking was: Will the other party accept it? Will the other party keep their promise?
Facing Jiuzuo's doubts, Ku Mu replied fiercely, "If they don't agree, we'll fight to the death. At worst, we'll die. We can still achieve the military's order and blow up the bridge."
Jiuzuo understood immediately, yes, I just want to exchange my life to meet the needs of both parties. I believe that if the other party is not a fool or a madman, he should understand.
At this point, Jiuzuo basically agreed with Kumu's suggestion. In order to keep it confidential, he asked Kumu to do the matter personally, including meeting the other party, reaching an agreement with the other party, etc.
Before leaving, Ku Mu said to Jiu Zuo, "Sir Jiu Zuo, after I leave, the troops must attack with all their might and without reservation. This is the most important guarantee for reaching an agreement."
Of course, Shusaku understood this, nodded without hesitation, and immediately arranged for the troops to launch a full-scale attack!
Liu Xiao suddenly received a report from the operations staff: a Japanese representative requested a face-to-face meeting with him. Liu Xiao was surprised. Just moments before, the Japanese had launched their largest-scale offensive, with a ferocious and relentless momentum. The 3rd and 4th Battalions were nearly unable to hold out, and the 1st and 2nd Battalions had to join in, barely suppressing the enemy's attack. What was the Japanese planning to do by sending a representative at this moment?
Liu Xiao did not dare to be careless. After making arrangements, he went to meet with the Japanese representative.
After a brief introduction, Ku Mu also learned about Liu Xiao, the main guerrilla commander, from the Japanese intelligence system. After confirming that it was Liu Xiao himself, he revealed his identity to Liu Xiao.