Shadow Spy

Chapter 426 Changes in the situation in the war zone

On December 12, Li Junhao held a meeting of the Allied Forces India-Burma Theater Command and introduced the visiting Assistant Secretary of State McDaniel to everyone. He also introduced the new theater deputy commander Major General Ridgway and Chief of Staff Wheeler to the generals. Maj. Gen. Stratmeyer, Air Force commander.

Three days later, after inspecting the troops in the India-Burma theater and the 10th Air Force, Major Generals McDaniel and Stratmeyer rushed to Chongqing on a military transport plane. The former was going to meet the leader of the Kuomintang government, and the latter was going to Chongqing. They were going to see Colonel Chennault to discuss with him the expansion of the "Flying Tigers" into the 14th Air Force.

On the 20th, Li Junhao took Major General Wheeler to fly to northern Shaanxi on a special plane, leaving Major General Li Qiwei to stay and visit his home.

For a week, Li Junhao didn't care about the situation in Chongqing. He visited the Red Holy Land, met the leaders and generals he had long admired, felt the passion here, and was happy every day. It's like celebrating the New Year - it's really an unforgettable Christmas here!
  Major General Wheeler who accompanied him on the inspection was also moved by the people here. He couldn't help but praise: With such a political party and army, they will definitely win the final victory in the war against Japan, and the future of this country will be theirs!
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  On the 28th, Li Junhao flew back to Thonggu with a satisfactory harvest, and immediately ordered the 506th Engineer Regiment of the US Army, which had just arrived in northern Myanmar, to expand the airport and military camp in Mandalay, the largest city in central northern Myanmar; he also ordered the staff to Commander Wheeler was in charge and prepared an army of [-] weapons, equipment and supplies in Mandalay...

On the 29th, McDaniel and Stratmeyer returned to Tonggu, together with Colonel Chennault. Now the Flying Tigers have been transferred to the Allied India-Burma Theater.

After everyone met, when McDaniel was talking to Li Junhao alone, he sighed with a wry smile: "Oger, you don't know, your trip to northern Shaanxi made Chairman Chiang very angry, in front of me. Face, I almost cursed my mother!"

Li Junhao smiled and said: "Riggs, I warned you, I should have known this would be the result!"

"Yes, you reminded me..." McDaniel said, "But I really didn't expect his temper to be so bad! I think this is a bit too much for a leader of a country!"

"Hahaha..." Li Junhao laughed even more cheerfully, "Then what happened in the end? How did the chairman of the committee decide?"

"Originally, he was determined to withdraw all the expeditionary forces to the country. No matter what I said, he didn't agree..." McDaniel spread his hands and said, "I really have no other choice, so I will use the method you told me before to talk about the underground party this time. Bian promised to provide a force of [-] educated recruits who would enter Burma to receive Allied equipment and training, and accept the command of the India-Burma Theater Command until the end of the war...

"You don't know, when he heard this, the leader's eyes almost popped out, and he shouted, 'This will never be allowed to happen'... If Dean Kong and Minister Song hadn't been advising him, He is about to send a formal letter of protest to Ambassador Johnson and me!”

"What about the final result?" Seeing McDaniel's emotional words, Li Junhao didn't mind making fun of him!
  "Finally, Mr. Chairman proposed that as long as we don't want new recruits from the underground party, he can agree not to withdraw the expeditionary force..." McDaniel said, "I told him that this is impossible because the United States is honest. Things that have been promised will not change. So, he decided to withdraw most of the expeditionary force back to the country, leaving only one army to protect the Burma Road in northern Myanmar..."

"Leave an army behind?" Li Junhao nodded, "Which army is it?"

McDaniel said: "Originally he wanted to keep the 96th Army, but later he changed his mind and transferred the 55th Division of the Fifth Army, the temporary 36th Division of the Sixth Army, and the original Sixty-sixth Army He left the three divisions of the [-]th Division and transferred back the other units of the three armies... I don’t understand what he was thinking.”

"It's very simple!" Li Junhao said, "The chairman of the committee wants to withdraw the main forces of the three armies to the country, and then add some new troops from one division to form a complete army."

McDaniel nodded to show that he understood, and asked: "What about the three remaining divisions?"    "Not the best, not the worst, just average!" Li Junhao said, "The best among the Chinese Expeditionary Forces. The strongest ones are the 200th Division, the New 22nd Division and the New 38th Division. With these three divisions as the backbone, it is easy to build three good armies!"

McDaniel smiled and said: "That's a coincidence. Later, after Minister Song's persuasion, Mr. Chairman decided to keep the New 38th Division, replace the 36th Division, and let General Sun of the New 38th Division command the remaining three divisions. , establish a new army..."

"Ha! This shows that he is still playing tricks!" Li Junhao sneered.

"What do you mean?" McDaniel was confused.

Li Junhao knew that he did not know much about the Kuomintang army, so he explained: "The 36th Division was a German armored division that was reorganized in 1936. Although it suffered huge losses in the previous years, it was still a direct lineage of Chairman Chiang Kai-shek after its reconstruction. The division commander Li Zhipeng was a fifth-generation student in Huangpu, and he was deeply trusted by him. After being replaced, he could support an army.

"The predecessor of the New 38th Division was the Tax Police Corps established by Minister Song. Lieutenant General Sun Liren has enough ability and prestige, but his relationship with the Chairman is different!

Moreover, this General Sun attended the Virginia Military Academy in our country, and his combat thinking is closer to that of our US military. Keeping him in Myanmar is a win-win situation for the Chairman, Minister Song and us! "

"Wow! It's so complicated!" McDaniel couldn't help but sigh after hearing this.

"This is the normal situation in the Kuomintang army!" Li Junhao said.
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  When the Allied forces in the India-Burma theater were facing major adjustments, the Japanese base camp was also reviewing the losses in the two Burma battles. This time the Allies really beat the Japanese army hard, which can be said to be heart-breaking.

第18、31、33、49、53、54、55、56八个师团、第72混成旅团、第5飞行师团、第3航空军被全歼，损失官兵超过18万、战机超过700架，这是开战以来从来没有发生过的事。

The generals of the Burmese front army, starting with the commander Mutaguchi Renye, were all killed in Burma, and there was no way to hold them accountable. This was even more depressing to the base camp.

In view of the importance of Myanmar, the base camp decided to reorganize its troops to attack Myanmar, and at least to protect Thailand and French China.

In order to win this battle, the base camp decided to reorganize the Burmese Front Army and transfer Yamashita Fengfumi, the commander of the [-]th Army who had successfully conquered the Malay Peninsula before, as the commander of the new front army.

(End of this chapter)