Related historical information of the Myanmar Expeditionary Force: Major events of the Myanmar Expeditionary Force in the first phase

One month after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, in early January 1942, in order to cut off the material channels for Western countries to aid China, 100,000 Japanese troops invaded Myanmar in three groups. In order to keep the lifeline of the Yunnan-Burma Highway, Chiang Kai-shek personally served as commander-in-chief, and Stilwell was the chief of staff. On February 16 of the same year, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized 100,000 troops to assemble in Anning, Yunnan, known as the "Myanmar Expeditionary Force."

The Expeditionary Army was mainly composed of three armies, the Fifth Army (Captain Du Yuming), the Sixth Army (Captain Liao Yaoxiang), and the Sixty-Sixth Army (Captain Zhang Zhen).

In less than half a month, all the troops were assembled in Anning. On March 1, the Expeditionary Force officially set off. Under the escort of Allied aircraft, the soldiers of the Expeditionary Force boarded the British red-headed truck and took the Yunnan-Burma Road. The sun was covered with yellow dust and headed straight for the Sino-Myanmar border Wanding and Ruili.

This is the only time our country sent troops abroad to fight during World War II, and it is also the first time China has helped other countries to fight since the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. This time, the dispatch of troops was warmly welcomed by the people on the China-Myanmar border and the people of Myanmar.

After the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered Myanmar, the situation was very critical. In order to fight the arrogance of the Japanese invaders, the Expeditionary Force immediately organized the Donggua Battle, using the Fifth and Sixth Arrivals that arrived in advance as the main attack, concentrating the forces of 7 divisions to siege the 55th Japanese Division in Donggua north of Yangon. The battle officially started on March 19. General Dai Anlan, the commander of the 200th Division of the Fifth Army of the Expeditionary Force, adopted mountain tactics such as "building high pits deep, colluding with tunnels, setting up ambushes, close-range killing, and using night and short assaults" to fight fiercely with the Japanese army for 12 days, and wiped out more than 5,000 enemies and captured more than 400 enemies. This is the famous "Donggua Victory".

In early April, the 66th Army entered Myanmar. At that time, the British First Division and the chariot battalion north of Ren'anqiang had been surrounded by the Japanese army for two days and nights. They had no food and bullets and the water source was cut off, and they were in a hurry. Major General Qi Xueqi, deputy commander of the new 38th Division of the 66th Army, led his troops to rescue on the 16th. After three days of hard fighting, defeated the main force of the Japanese army. The Japanese army left more than 1,200 bodies and retreated from the position in a panic. In this battle, the Expeditionary Force recovered the Ren'anqiang oil field, rescued more than 7,000 friendly troops, and achieved the second great victory after the battle in Myanmar, that is, the great victory of Ren'anqiang.

The first battle in Myanmar began with a brilliant record, which once curbed the Japanese army's rampant attack and played an active role in the entire battle situation. In particular, the Donggua Defense Battle, the Ren'anqiang Rescue Battle and the Tangji Attack Battle, which gave the Chinese army military authority and national prestige, which caused a huge response in the world. However, things went against our wishes. Due to the mismanagement of the Allied forces' command and poor cooperation, and the Japanese army successfully attacked Lashio on April 28, 1942, cutting off the expeditionary army's retreat. In less than two months, the 160,000 Allied troops took the initiative to fall into a passive position, and staged a great tragedy that shocked the world - the defeat of the "Savage Mountain" (Kachin Mountain).

In this catastrophic international retreat, the remnants of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, except for the 90th Division, the 96th Division, the 200th Division, the 28th Division, and the 29th Division were able to retreat abroad. Several other divisions whose return route was cut off had to retreat to India through the primeval forest of the Hukang Valley on May 15. Among them, the newly formed 38th Division followed the British army to withdraw to Lido in India and saved the team. The remnants of the Expeditionary Force who retreated north entered Kachin Mountain, exhausted ammunition and food, hunger and cold, and struggled hard in the primitive tropical jungle that had been traversing thousands of miles and forever, fighting against wild animals and tropical infectious diseases... The black triangle on this earth actually swallowed countless expeditionary forces!

When they went to the war a month and a half ago, there were only more than 40,000 people left. Most of the 60,000 people were not killed or injured in the battle, but were captured, bombed, starved to death and infectious diseases. For this reason, the entire Myanmar fell.

From March 1, 1942 to May 15, 1942, the Myanmar Expedition Army went from a big victory to a big defeat in just two and a half months. The first phase of the expedition ended. Dehong Prefecture west of the Nujiang River, Longling and Tengchong in the Baoshan area fell, and the lifeline of the Chinese people, the Yunnan-Burma Highway, was cut off by the Japanese army.
Chapter completed!