Chapter 239 The key to breaking the situation!
In the British army’s tent, the atmosphere was as solemn as the dead silence before a storm. The officers were divided into two groups, each holding their own views and arguing endlessly.

The officers who were evacuating Burma spoke fiercely. They waved the documents in their hands and shouted: “Returning to the defense line? That is simply seeking death! Look at our current strength and the crazy offensive of the Japanese army. Going back will only cause more soldiers to die in vain. We must evacuate as soon as possible. Preserving our strength is the top priority!”

Their faces were filled with anxiety and worry. In their hearts, the safety of the British army was above everything else. At this time, the battlefield in Burma was like a huge devouring machine, ruthlessly consuming the British army’s manpower.

Another group of officers who firmly opposed the evacuation blushed and retorted angrily: “Deserting in the face of the enemy? This will become a shame in the history of the British Army! We are responsible for defending Burma, how can we give up so easily? Where is our honor? Where is our credibility?” They clenched their fists, with a firm light flashing in their eyes, as if at this moment, what they were guarding was not only a piece of land, but also the long-standing dignity of the British Army.

A senior officer, his voice was low but very penetrating, echoing in the tent like a bell: “We can’t put the British army in danger for the sake of so-called credibility. Our first priority is to protect the safety of the British army. War is not about impulse, but about weighing the pros and cons. Evacuate now and preserve your strength, so that we will have a chance to make a comeback in the future.” His words represent the views of some officers. In this brutal war, they are more concerned about the life and death of the British army itself.

Lieutenant General Alexander sat at the head of the tent, his brows furrowed, his eyes revealing deep helplessness and entanglement. His eyes moved back and forth between the two groups of officers, listening to their heated arguments, his heart was like a pot of mixed feelings.

He knew very well that this decision would affect the course of the entire war and the future of the British army.

On the one hand, the interests and safety of the British army weighed heavily on his mind. The lives of those young soldiers were in danger in the war. As a commander, he had the responsibility to lead them out of danger. On the other hand, he had to take into account the cooperative relationship with the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the pressure of international public opinion.

The Chinese Expeditionary Force fought side by side with the British Army on the battlefield. Their efforts and sacrifices are obvious to all. If the British Army withdraws without authorization now, it will undoubtedly bring great difficulties to the Chinese Expeditionary Force, which will seriously damage the cooperative relationship between the two sides.

Moreover, the international community is paying attention to this war, and every move of the British army will be scrutinized. If they are regarded as deserting the battlefield, international public opinion will surely criticize the British army.

After some painful deliberation, Lieutenant General Alexander slowly stood up, his eyes revealing a hint of determination. He decided to meet with General Du Yuming again to try to find a compromise solution.

He knew that General Du Yuming was a firm and principled man, but he also hoped that through negotiations, a solution acceptable to both sides could be found to ease the current tense situation.

When Lieutenant General Alexander met General Du Yuming again, his attitude was obviously much more relaxed. He bowed slightly, with a hint of apology on his face, and said: “General Du, after our discussion, we believe that it is indeed very difficult to return to the original defense line. The Japanese army has deployed a large number of troops and advanced weapons and equipment around the defense line. If we go back rashly, the losses will be incalculable. But we are willing to provide support in other aspects, such as providing supplies and intelligence. Although our material reserves are not abundant, we will do our best to provide your army with necessary supplies. At the same time, our intelligence department will also increase the reconnaissance of the Japanese army and pass on important intelligence to your army in a timely manner.” Lieutenant General Alexander tried to use this compromise plan to restore the cooperative relationship with the Chinese Expeditionary Force. His tone was sincere and his eyes were full of expectations.

General Du Yuming listened, his face still gloomy like the dark clouds before the storm. He stared at Lieutenant General Alexander, his eyes revealing disappointment and dissatisfaction, and slowly said: “Supplies and intelligence are important, but they cannot make up for the losses you have caused us by your unauthorized withdrawal. Your behavior has put us in a passive position on the battlefield. Many soldiers have fallen into desperate situations and lost their precious lives because of your sudden withdrawal. Your unauthorized actions have made us lose trust in you.” His voice was full of anger and helplessness. The British’s behavior made him trust the British army to the freezing point. In this cruel war, once trust is broken, it is like a broken mirror, which is difficult to restore.

Lieutenant General Alexander quickly took a step forward, spread his hands slightly, and said anxiously: “General Du, I know that our behavior this time has disappointed you. But please believe that we will not have such a situation again in the future. We are willing to use practical actions to prove our sincerity and hope to continue to cooperate with you to fight against the Japanese army together. The Japanese army is our common enemy. Only by working together can we hope to win this war.” He tried to use promises to regain General Du Yuming’s trust, but he also knew that this was easier said than done. Rebuilding trust requires time and proof of action.

General Du Yuming was silent for a moment, his eyes moving back and forth on Lieutenant General Alexander’s face, as if judging the truth of his words. After a long time, he slowly opened his mouth and said, “Okay, since you are willing to provide support in other areas, let’s put this matter aside for the time being. But I still say that if you dare to act on your own again, we will no longer have any cooperation with you! We, the Chinese Expeditionary Force, will defend Burma and fight the Japanese army at all costs. We will never allow any betrayal or wavering.” His voice revealed a firm determination. He would no longer easily believe the British promises. On the battlefield in the future, he would always be vigilant to prevent the British army from doing anything that would damage the cooperation between the two sides again.

In this way, after intense negotiations, China and Britain reached a temporary compromise.

However, the situation on the Burmese battlefield remained grim. The Japanese offensive became increasingly fierce, like a surging tide, one wave after another, constantly impacting the defense lines of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the British Army.

The battlefield was filled with smoke, the sound of artillery fire was deafening, and the soldiers’ shouts and screams were intertwined, making people shudder.

At this time, in the distant Free Army headquarters, Lu Yuhua was standing in front of a huge map, his brows furrowed, his eyes revealing solemnity and determination. He stared at the area in Burma on the map that was constantly being encroached by the Japanese army, as if he was trying to find the key to breaking the deadlock from the map. On the map, the red arrows representing the Japanese army were like ferocious beasts, constantly advancing forward, while the blue defense line representing the Chinese Expeditionary Force was resisting tenaciously, but it was already in a precarious situation.

“General, I just received news that the situation in Burma is becoming increasingly grim. The Japanese offensive is very fierce, and the Expeditionary Force’s defense line is under great pressure.” The communications staff hurried over, his face pale, and his voice was filled with a hint of tension and anxiety. In this cruel war, every new battle report could bring heart-wrenching news.

Lu Yuhua slowly turned around, his face stern, like a majestic iceberg. He looked at the communications staff with sharp eyes and asked, “What is the specific situation? How long can the front-line troops hold out?” His voice was steady and powerful. Although he was extremely anxious, as a commander, he had to remain calm in order to make the right decision.

The signalman swallowed his saliva and said nervously: “The Japanese army has mobilized a large number of troops and used all kinds of advanced weapons. The bombers continue to bombard the expeditionary army’s positions, the tank troops are leading the way, and the infantry follows closely behind, launching a crazy charge. Although the brothers of the expeditionary army resisted tenaciously, they suffered heavy casualties. According to the commander on the front line, they can only hold out for three days at most. If there is no reinforcement, the defense line may…” His voice gradually lowered, and a trace of despair was revealed in his eyes. Three days, in this cruel war, time is so tight, every minute and every second may determine the life and death of countless soldiers.

Lu Yuhua closed his eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and thought to himself: The situation in Myanmar is already critical. If we lose the battle in Myanmar, the consequences will be disastrous.

Once the Japanese army occupied Burma, they could further expand their sphere of influence in Southeast Asia, threatening the security of neighboring countries, and at the same time causing a great impact on the strategic layout of the Free Army. Various response strategies quickly emerged in his mind, like a high-speed machine, constantly screening and analyzing various possibilities.

Suddenly, a bold idea came to his mind.

“Order each unit commander to come to the headquarters immediately for a meeting to discuss important combat plans.” Lu Yuhua said decisively, his voice firm and powerful, as if at this moment, he had found a way to break the deadlock.

After a while, several main generals of the Free Army gathered at the headquarters.

Their faces were filled with fatigue and anxiety. They were under tremendous pressure in this continuous battle. Everyone looked at the area on the map that was constantly being eaten away by the Japanese army, and their hearts were heavy. The advancing red arrow was like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, which could fall at any time.

“Everyone, I believe everyone already knows the situation in Burma.” Lu Yuhua broke the silence, his voice deep and powerful, echoing in the headquarters. “The situation is serious now, and we must come up with a countermeasure. I have an idea, to increase the intensity of the attack on Siam. As long as Siam is occupied, the Japanese army will not dare to continue to expand its offensive in the Burmese battlefield. Siam’s geographical location is very important. It is in the heart of Southeast Asia. If the Japanese army loses Siam, its strategic layout in Southeast Asia will be seriously affected. They will inevitably be distracted to defend Siam, thereby reducing the pressure on the Burmese battlefield.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked. A young general spoke first, with a trace of worry on his face: “General, Siam is not so easy to occupy. The terrain there is complex, with undulating mountains and dense jungles. In addition, the Japanese army has a certain number of troops deployed in Siam. They have built strong fortifications and equipped with advanced weapons and equipment. If we attack rashly, will we be caught in the dilemma of fighting on two fronts? The Japanese army is likely to withdraw troops from the Burmese battlefield to reinforce Siam. At that time, we will have to face the Japanese army in Siam and guard against the counterattack of the Japanese army in Burma. The situation will be very dangerous.”

Lu Yuhua nodded slightly, his eyes revealing his approval of the young general: “You are right, this is indeed a risk. But we don’t have many choices now. Once the Burmese battlefield collapses, our entire strategic layout will be disrupted. The Japanese army will expand more unscrupulously, and the threats we face will increase exponentially. Although attacking Siam has risks, it also has opportunities. Siam’s geographical location is very important, and the Japanese army certainly does not want to give up easily. As long as we act quickly and catch them off guard, we are still very confident. We can take advantage of the fact that the Japanese army has invested a large number of troops in the Burmese battlefield and the defense of Siam is relatively weak, launch a surprise attack, and strive to break through their defense before the Japanese army reacts.”

Another general frowned and said, “But our troops are limited. Now the rebels in some places are also ready to move. They are all supported by the Japanese army. These rebels are making trouble in our rear, attacking our supply lines, destroying our infrastructure, and causing great trouble to our combat operations. If we withdraw a large number of troops to attack Siam, the defense in the rear will be empty, and the rebels are likely to take the opportunity to launch a large-scale attack, and we will be attacked from both sides.”

Lu Yuhua walked to the map, pointed to the mark on it and said, “I have also considered this. We can draw some elite troops from the battlefield to form assault teams to deal with these rebels. These assault teams must have super combat effectiveness and mobility, be able to attack quickly, and destroy the rebels’ vitality with lightning speed. At the same time, on the Siamese battlefield, we must adopt some confusing tactics to make the Japanese army mistakenly believe that we are strengthening our defense and dare not launch a large-scale attack easily. We can create some illusions in the border areas, such as increasing the number of patrols and setting up some fake military facilities, so that the Japanese army will think that we are preparing for defense, not attack.”

At this time, an experienced veteran spoke up, his voice steady and powerful: “General, although the plan to attack Siam is risky, it is also a way to break the deadlock. However, we must be fully prepared and the intelligence work must be done well. We need to understand the Siamese Japanese troop deployment, weapons and equipment, and their fortifications. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we win every battle. We need to send more intelligence personnel to infiltrate Siam to collect detailed intelligence and provide an accurate basis for our combat plan.”

(End of this chapter)