Introduction to the Battle of Tengchong?

Introduction to the Tengchong Campaign

On December 23, 1941, the Chinese Expeditionary Force signed the "Sino-British Agreement on the Joint Defense of the Yunnan-Burma Road" in Chongqing. The alliance was formed, and China established the Chinese Expeditionary Force to support the British army in fighting Japanese fascism in Yunnan and Burma (then a British territory) and to defend China's southwestern rear. This is a model of direct military cooperation between China and its allies. It is also the first time that the Chinese army has gone abroad to fight since the Sino-Japanese War of 1884-1894, and has made great achievements. Counting from the time when Chinese troops entered Myanmar, the China-Myanmar-India War lasted for three years and three months. China invested a total of 400,000 troops and suffered nearly 200,000 casualties.

The Chinese Expeditionary Force participated in the battle in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II

The first expedition in 1942

The Battle of Tonggu, the victory of Yan'an and Qiang in Burma Retreat of Peking University

Second Expedition in 1944

Battle of Western Yunnan and Northern Burma Battle of Tengchong Battle of Songshan Battle of Longling

Battle of Hukang Valley Battle of Mengong Valley Battle Secret Battle of China, Battle of Pingmanna

Battle of Varuban

Establishment background:

The Chinese Expeditionary Force is a Sino-British military force established by the Kuomintang in 1941 organized by alliance. The Second World War broke out in Europe in 1939. After the British and French troops were defeated in Dunkirk on June 4, 1940, abandoning their armor and helmets, the British Isles were in danger. The United Kingdom hoped to use the great power of the Chinese people's long-term resistance to support it in the war. The military of the Far Eastern colonies, especially Burma, India, and Malaysia, saved the crisis in the Far Eastern rear area. At the same time, on the Chinese side, in order to achieve the final victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it was also necessary to secure the Yunnan-Burma Road, the last international transportation line. Therefore, starting from October 1940, the United Kingdom first opened the long-blocked Yunnan-Burma Road, and then brewed a Sino-British military alliance.

In the spring of 1941, the United Kingdom invited a Chinese military inspection team to visit Myanmar, India, and Malaya. After several negotiations, the "Sino-British Agreement on the Joint Defense of the Yunnan-Burma Road" was signed on December 23 of the same year, establishing a Sino-British military alliance. The Chinese Expeditionary Force was organized based on the Sino-British military alliance.

In early 1942, after Japan invaded Malaysia, it began to invade Myanmar. From March to April, the Japanese army attacked the important town of Mandalay in an attempt to cut off the Burma Highway. At this time, with the help of the British, the Chinese side, with Du Yuming as the acting commander-in-chief and commanded by Chief of Staff Stilwell of the China-Burma-India Theater, gathered China's elite forces of about 100,000 Chinese Expeditionary Forces to march towards Myanmar.

The Chinese Expeditionary Force was called the Chinese Army in India after 1942. Since India was never unified with the Assam region in ancient times, British colonists invaded the Assam region in the 18th century and later became a British colony. It is part of India. After entering the Assam region with the British army in Burma, the Chinese Expeditionary Force was also called the Chinese Army in India.

Heroic deeds:

After the outbreak of the Pacific War, on December 23, 1941, China and Britain signed the "Sino-British *** Agreement on Joint Defense of the Burma Road" in Chongqing. The Sino-British military alliance was formed.

However, because the British army underestimated the strength of the Chinese army, overestimated themselves, and did not want foreign troops to penetrate deep into their colonies, they repeatedly delayed and blocked the Chinese Expeditionary Force from entering Myanmar. The Chinese Expeditionary Force that was scheduled to enter Myanmar had no choice but to Stop at the China-Myanmar border. However, after Japan launched its attack in early January 1942, the British-Burmese army was defeated, and the Chinese army was hurriedly invited to join the war in Burma. China established the 1st Route Commander's Headquarters of the Expeditionary Force (the 2nd Route was originally scheduled to be in Vietnam, but was later canceled due to changes in circumstances) and headed to the battlefield in Myanmar. However, due to the loss of combat opportunity, the battle to defend Burma failed. Because the British extremely adhered to the established strategy of putting Europe first and Asia later, once the war situation was unfavorable, they completely lost interest in defending Burma and repeatedly retreated, turning the Chinese Expeditionary Force's operations to defend Burma into operations to cover the retreat of the British army.

However, the Chinese Expeditionary Force still made achievements that were admired by the British and American allies, and achieved certain strategic goals. From March 1942, when the Chinese Expeditionary Force began fighting against the Japanese army, to the withdrawal of the Chinese-British coalition forces from Burma in early August, it lasted half a year and marched more than 1,500 kilometers. They fought bloody battles and repeatedly defeated the enemy, causing the Japanese army to suffer a rare heavy blow since the Pacific War. , provided strong support to the British and Burmese troops many times, and won victories in the Tonggu Defense War, the Siwa Interdiction War, the Ren'an Qiang Liberation War, and the Taunggyi Recapture War.

In the First Burma War, the Japanese suffered about 45,000 casualties, the British suffered more than 13,000 casualties, and the Chinese Expeditionary Force suffered more than 50,000 casualties (most of them were in Yeren Mountain in the Hukang Valley).

After the defeat in Burma, the New 38th Division led by Sun Liren of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the New 22nd Division, which later detoured to the Hukang Valley, with nearly 3,000 troops, retreated into British India and became the basic force of the Chinese Army in India. . Under the guidance of Chief of Staff of the Chinese Theater Stilwell, they were trained and reorganized at Ramgarh training camp. In August 1942, they were reorganized into the Chinese Army in India. They were equipped with all American equipment using US aid supplies, and their combat effectiveness was greatly improved.

At the same time, in view of the importance of Myanmar, China actively planned a counterattack on Myanmar, reorganized and retrained the second batch of expeditionary forces in western Yunnan, and established the Chinese Expeditionary Force Commander's Headquarters in February 1943 to prepare for it. Be ready to counterattack Burma in coordination with British and American troops at any time.

In March 1944, the newly formed 22nd Division and the newly formed 38th Division of our Indian Army occupied Mengguan, eliminated the main force of Japan's most elite 18th Division, and seized its military flags, customs defenses, and a large number of documents and various weapons. Then the two divisions took advantage of the victory and marched forward. They captured Meng Gong, an important town in northern Myanmar, and achieved another victory.

Previously, the New 30th Division, the 14th Division, and the 50th Division, which were airlifted from China to India in the spring of 1944 to receive American equipment and training, were successively transferred to Myitkyina, Myanmar, and then launched an attack on it. After the Battle of Meng Gong, the New 38th Division also marched into Myitkyina. After more than a month of fierce fighting, Myitkyina was finally captured in early August. Since our troops stationed in India successively launched Ramgarh, they have fought continuously and repeatedly defeated powerful enemies, and their combat effectiveness has been greatly improved compared with before.

After resting in Myitkyina for about two months, the Chinese army launched its final attack on the Japanese invaders. The New 1st Army and the New 6th Army launched an attack on Bhamo in two directions. Pass through obstacles along the way and become invincible. Subsequently, the New 1st Army successively conquered Bhamo and Nankan, and joined forces with the Yunnan Expeditionary Force heading west at Mangyou near Wanding, and the Sino-Indian Highway was completely opened. The Chinese troops stationed in India immediately moved south and captured Lashio on March 8, 1945. On the 30th, they joined forces with the British army in Qiaome, and the counterattack in northern Myanmar ended. At this time, due to their failure in the Philippines, the Japanese army shrunk their front lines and completely withdrew from Burma. At this point, the war in Myanmar is over.

This battle lasted for a year and a half, and more than 48,000 Japanese troops were annihilated. The Chinese troops stationed in India suffered more than 18,000 casualties, and the Chinese Expeditionary Force suffered more than 40,000 casualties.

The China-Myanmar-India War lasted for three years and three months from the time the Chinese army entered Myanmar. China invested a total of 400,000 troops and suffered nearly 200,000 casualties. The Chinese Expeditionary Force wrote an extremely tragic chapter in the history of the Anti-Japanese War with their blood and lives.

Battle of Tengchong:

In May 1944, the 20th Group Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force crossed the natural barrier of the Nujiang River with six divisions and occupied Tengchong, a strategic fortress in western Yunnan for two years. The Japanese army launched a full-scale attack for a long time. The siege of Tengchong lasted 42 days. The expeditionary force wiped out more than 3,000 Japanese troops and regained Tengchong with a complete victory. During the battle, more than 9,000 soldiers of the group army died heroically. The victory in the Battle of Tengchong effectively promoted the victory in the Yunnan-Burma battlefield and wrote a glorious page in the history of China's Anti-Japanese War and the world's anti-fascist war.

From May 11, 1944, the 20th Group Army of the Expeditionary Force forcibly crossed the Nu River to September 14, 1944, when they captured Tengchong City, it lasted 127 days and experienced more than 40 large and small battles. The *** captured 4 enemy officers. , more than 60 soldiers. More than 100 officers below the commander of the enemy's major general commander and the captain of the regiment of Zangshige Yasumi were killed, and more than 6,000 soldiers were killed. Captured 7 field guns, 6 infantry guns, 10 mortars, 19 heavy machine guns, 47 light machine guns, more than 1,000 rifles, more than 20 cars, 25 wired and wireless machines and several other military supplies. . Our expeditionary force also suffered casualties of 1,234 officers and 17,075 soldiers. This shows the hardship and brutality of the Tengchong Battle and the patriotic spirit of the soldiers of the expeditionary force who sacrificed their lives.

People’s support:

Since the expeditionary force began its counterattack in 1944, the anti-Japanese county government mobilized more than 46,000 migrant workers to transport ammunition and grain, repair bridges and roads, serve as guides, rescue the wounded, and reconnaissance. The old, weak, women and children did not stand by. They completed the task of transporting 600,000 kilograms of military rations from Hupa, Baoshan. It only took less than 6 days. Even the expeditionary force and American soldiers said with admiration that this was really "unprecedented and rare" ". When military rations were in short supply, the local people would rather not eat or eat less, but would also send cooked meals to the front line under hail of bullets.