Full Decryption of the Behind-the-Scenes of the China-Burma-India War: Memorial Record of the Main Front in China's War of Resistance Against Japan

Author: Chen Lirén
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: This is a history written in blood and tears by the Chinese people. With vivid penwork and abundant historical records, this book authentically recreates the dramatic Battle of Yunnan-Burma, revealing many little-known secrets of the Chinese theater during the Anti-Japanese War! The Chinese nation, with her unique resilience and indomitable spirit, fought bravely against the Japanese invaders amidst blood and rain, composing a magnificent epic of tragic heroism. Sixty years after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, this book takes our memories back to that era of blazing fires and heroic struggles.
Battle Duration: March 1942 – March 30, 1945
Troop Strength:
- Chinese Forces: 260,000 soldiers from the 6th, 66th Armies, the 11th and 20th Group Armies, and the 8th Army.
- Japanese Forces: Approximately 95,000 soldiers from the 18th, 33rd, 55th, and 56th Divisions of the 15th Group Army.
Battle Outcome:
- Japanese Casualties: 48,000 killed or wounded.
- Chinese Casualties: 67,000 killed or wounded.
Significance of the Battle:
The victory not only secured the strategic transportation line—the China-India Road—improving the supply situation in the Chinese theater but also restored the morale and fighting spirit of the Chinese people, who had been demoralized by the failures of the Yü, Xiang, and Gui Battles. It also boosted the confidence in the inevitable victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Furthermore, it provided strong support to the British forces in Imphal, laying the foundation for the Allied victory in Burma.
Under a temporary shelter made of banana leaves, Du Yuming lay on a stretcher, his breath failing. Even the toughest iron man could not withstand the torment of (:). His persistent high fever kept him in a coma. His face was flushed, his breathing shallow, and his lips covered in blisters. His gaunt face had sunk further, while his long, dirty, and disheveled beard grew longer. The military blanket pressed upon him was soaked with mud and water. The doctor standing nearby was helpless. In the chaotic retreat, the troops stumbled and tripped over trees and vines, losing all their medical supplies. Without medicine, even a bowl of hot porridge was unobtainable. The troops had run out of food. After dawn, the jungle was drenched in rain. It was not just rain—it was as if lightning had torn open the sky, unleashing a torrential downpour. The raindrops were enormous, like copper coins or silver dollars, covering the sky and the earth. They hammered the leaves and the jungle like a thousand armies sweeping in. The jungle was a cacophony of rustling and white mist. In an instant, the towering trees became waterfalls, with water gushing down from their tops. The trees bowed their heads, the bamboo (: bamboo thickets) bent, and the entire forest turned into a swamp. Thunder rolled above, lightning like sharp axes splitting the sky and striking the jungle. Ancient trees were split in half by the lightning. The thunderstorm in the jungle was destructive. The banana leaf shelter had long been unable to withstand the relentless rain. Water rushed in, pouring over the ground. People frantically set up raincoats inside the shelter, but it was useless. Rain still seeped through the gaps, dripping onto the stretcher and the feverish forehead, cheeks, and neck of the unconscious Du Yuming. Suddenly, Du Yuming awoke from his coma. Whether his condition had improved or if the cool rain simply lowered his temperature, his red, cracked lips moved slightly. The doctor quickly caught the rainwater in a teacup and fed it drop by drop into his parched mouth. He drank it greedily, relying entirely on instinct. After a long while, he took a deep breath and slowly lifted his eyelids.
Du Yuming’s vacant, exhausted gaze swept around the room. He saw his Chief of Staff, Luo Youlun, his Division Commander, Liao Yaoyang, and his Chief of Staff, Li Hanping, gathered around. He realized what had happened and asked weakly, “Where are we?” “This is Dalu, General,” Luo Youlun replied, bending down and speaking in a low voice. Dalu? How could they still be in Dalu? Du Yuming vaguely remembered that several days earlier, he had led the troops into Dalu. It was dusk then, with a blood-red sun hanging above the trees, and the jungle was eerily silent. They had agreed to rest there and move forward at dawn. So why were they still in Dalu?
Du Yuming frowned deeply. Li Hanping, the Chief of Staff, told him that it was on that very evening when they arrived in Dalu that he fell ill. Luo Youlun and Liao Yaoyang had decided to halt the troops and wait for the General to recover before making any decisions. Upon hearing this, Du Yuming’s face flushed with anger, his chest rising rapidly as he spoke with great dissatisfaction, “Advance! We must advance, no matter the cost. We must not stop for a moment.”
In the pouring rain, the troops set off again. Officers and soldiers moved in small groups, emerging from temporary shelters and tree holes...