After the Japanese army suffered this heavy loss, except for one part to guard the bridge and the old ferry port on the north bank of the Bin River, the main force retreated to the Ren'anqiang oil field overnight. Division Commander Sun and Regiment Commander Liu organized their troops and began to attack at dawn on the 18th.
The picture comes from the Internet
Liu Fangwu ordered the deputy regiment commander Zeng Qi to command the 2nd Battalion to attack the bridge from the west from the right side of the road, the 1st Battalion to attack the old ferry from the left (east) side of the road, and the 3rd Battalion Zhang Qi as a reserve;
At the same time, the engineer platoon and spy team (plainclothes) attached to the search company were ordered to smuggle across the Bin River from the east side of the old ferry port under the guidance of Burmese guides, and sneak into Baita Mountain, 501 Heights, to conceal and reconnoiter the enemy's situation;
The British tank team was under the command of Zeng Qi to support the operation, and its artillery (three mountain guns) occupied positions on the north side of the highway intersection under the direct command of Commander Liu, and the 7th Battalion of the British Gurka Regiment acted with Zhang Qi's department.
At 5 o'clock in the morning of the 18th, Liu Fangwu gave an order, and all battalions were dispatched at the same time, and mortars, British tank guns, mountain artillery, and light and heavy machine guns were fired at the enemy position at the same time.
At about 10 o'clock, we completely wiped out the enemy on the north bank of the Bin River and controlled the bridge and the old ferry, and the Japanese army was repulsed many times in counterattacks, but its artillery and machine gun fire were extremely fierce, causing a great increase in casualties among our front-line troops.
The Chinese Expeditionary Force fighting fiercely in Ren'anqiang The picture comes from the Internet
Seeing this, Sun Liren immediately asked Regiment Commander Liu to order a suspension of the offensive and prepare for a night attack, and asked the front-line troops to closely reconnoiter the enemy's situation and terrain and organize a night attack.
At this time, Slim came to the front line in an armored car, and when he heard that Division Commander Sun and Regiment Commander Liu were at the forefront, he also had the courage to follow the guide and sneak forward, and finally found Division Commander Sun, Regiment Commander Liu, and Battalion Commander Yang in the company command post of the first company in the dense forest on a small high ground on the east side of the bridgehead.
As soon as they met, Slim was very surprised and said: "I never expected that your division, regimental and battalion commanders would be such a leading soldier, who went to the front line and ran to the forefront company command post to direct the operation, and I admire your bravery very much." ”
He then added: "When you attacked on a large scale this morning, I also ordered the British 1st Division to launch a counteroffensive, hoping to inflict an internal and external attack on the Japanese army, tear a gap, and let them break out of the encirclement with your support, but they were again frustrated.
The division has been short of food and water for two days, and it is really difficult to hold on any longer, so General Sun is requested to immediately wave his division across the river to rescue the British 1st Division from hanging upside down. ”
As he was talking, an anxious voice came from the wireless walkie-talkie, and Scott, the commander of the British 1st Division, ignored the confidentiality regulations and directly used the wireless telephone to call for help to Slim.
Seeing this, Sun Liren immediately took the microphone from Slim's hand and said to Scott in English:
"The Chinese army, including myself, will make you return from danger tomorrow even if you fight to the last man, so please continue to hold on. ”
Scott's hoarse and questioning question came from the microphone, "Are you sure?"
Sun Liren replied categorically: "Please wait! We will definitely be able to meet tomorrow at this moment." ”
Slim was beside him, and when he heard Sun Liren's confident answer, his anxious mood suddenly froze, and he shook goodbye to Master Sun and Head Liu with a smile on his face, and said, "I'm waiting for good news." ”
As he was leaving, he happened to pass by the place where we were ambushed, and saw that two of the four Japanese armored vehicles destroyed by the 113th Regiment were British troops, and even the signs and numbers on the cars were untouched, and his embarrassment was obvious.
After careful reconnaissance, Division Commander Sun and Regiment Commander Liu learned that the 214th Wing of the Japanese Army controlled the 501 Heights and the area north of Ren'anqiang, and became the initial obstacle to the 113th Regiment's attack.
The Japanese artillery groups were all placed at the western foot of the 501 Heights, which was a major obstacle in the direction of the main attack;
The 215th Wing controlled the area along the Yangtze River and southwest of Ringanqiang, and was the second obstacle to the rescue of the British 1st Division;
In addition, the Japanese Araki Force (213th Wing) is in the southeast area of Ringanqiang, guarding the Na Maung and Kannat sides, and preventing the British 1st Division from breaking through to the east, this enemy force will also be used in maneuver after the 113th Regiment begins to attack, and become a new counterattack force against the 113th Regiment.
After studying the above-mentioned enemy situation and terrain, Division Commander Sun and Regiment Commander Liu made the following arrangements:
Regiment Commander Liu Fangwu personally led the 1st and 2nd Battalions, the divisional engineer company and the British tank team as the right flank, smuggled from both sides of the bridge to the south bank, secretly approached the enemy's artillery position, and occupied Baita Mountain with one part of the attack, waiting for the attack;
The main force of the 3rd Battalion was assigned to the search company, engineer platoon, and spy team that had infiltrated the 501 Five Heights as the left flank, smuggled from the old ferry to the south bank, infiltrated the vicinity of the 501 Heights, and stood by for the attack;
Zeng Qi commanded the British 7th Battalion, artillery team, mortar company, and artillery company to occupy positions on both sides of the bridgehead and complete firing preparations for various enemy targets;
The tank team hid near the bridge, ready to cross the bridge to attack;
The chief of staff, Ho Kwan Heng, was in charge of the logistics matters, and the task was to ask the British army to prepare sufficient drinking water, food, medical ambulances and transport vehicles, and to wait in concealment in the assembly area with the vehicles, and once they joined the British 1st Division, they would quickly go forward to deliver water, food, and medicine, and transport the division to the north;
The first artillery attack of the front line was called, and as soon as our troops began shelling, the assault troops immediately charged the enemy, and the tanks immediately crossed the bridge to support the 1st and 2nd battalions to charge the enemy artillery positions.
At half past four o'clock in the morning of the 19th, after Sun Liren received reports from various units that "preparations have been completed, but the enemy has not noticed," he immediately ordered to "fight"!
Suddenly, the cannon roared, the gunfire suddenly erupted, and the explosion sounded like rolling thunder, and the whole earth seemed to tremble, and the silent and dark night was torn to shreds at once.
Yang Zhenhan led the 1st Battalion to rush into the enemy's artillery position first, and a burst of fierce machine-gun fire and continuous cluster grenade explosions destroyed half of the enemy's more than 30 cannons, and the dead enemy corpses were lying in all directions around the artillery bunkers.
After the 113th Regiment began to attack, these artillery of the enemy were completely blown up by the first battalion before they could fire back, and the surviving Japanese troops fled south one after another in their cars and with their cannons, and when they passed a fork in the road 2,000 meters south of the artillery position, they suddenly encountered our second battalion that had just returned to the place.
The Japanese army did not dare to fight, so they relied on the speed of the car and rushed out at the risk of death, and as a result, the Japanese infantry and artillery sitting on the car were attacked by our firepower, and a large number of people were killed and wounded.
In this way, the 3rd Brigade of the 214th Wing, which was covering the enemy's artillery array on Baita Mountain and preventing us from crossing the river, suffered more than half of its casualties when our 1st Battalion assaulted, and then, while covering the southward escape of its artillery, it was again blocked by our 2nd Battalion, and more than 500 people under its captain Takashi Gao were either killed or wounded, and even the body of Takashi Gao was not able to be transported away.
The Japanese army, which had been hit hard for the first time, immediately dispatched the commander of the 1st Brigade of the 214th Wing, Tokushige Fangfu Shaozo, to lead his troops in a car, equipped with 18 armored vehicles and 4 rapid-fire guns, to rescue its artillery and the 3rd large.
In a small village 5,000 meters north of Ringanqiang, they were ambushed by the 1st and 2nd battalions under the command of Liu Fangwu and the British tank team, which pursued there. Our troops attacked them fiercely and immediately destroyed 5 armored vehicles and 7 cars. The enemy was unable to fight, turned around and fled south, and Regiment Commander Liu ordered all battalions to pursue hard.
At 11 o'clock that day, the 1st Battalion captured Ringanqiang and intercepted 3 steamers and more than 30 cars on the banks of the Irrawaddy River that the main force of the 215th Wing of the Japanese Army and the 26th Engineer Wing had no time to leave when they fled.
The 2nd Battalion routed the enemy's 3rd Brigade and occupied the 510 Heights and nearby points, and the siege of the British 1st Division was immediately broken, and the remnants of the enemy fled south.
Speaking of the 3rd Battalion, according to Sun Liren's order, at dawn, they quietly crossed the Bin River and secretly climbed the 501 heights, until they reached the front of the enemy formation and lurked.
After the signal for attack was issued, they jumped up and, under the guidance of the search company, engineer platoon, and spy team, broke into the enemy position in one fell swoop, and immediately launched an extremely tragic hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese army.
After a desperate battle, those stubborn enemies with strong bushido spirit gradually lost their strength and retreated to the top of the mountain and the foothills.
Battalion commander Zhang Qi immediately ordered deputy battalion commander Hu Dehua to lead the search company, engineer platoon, and spy team to pursue and retreat the enemy to the foot of the mountain, and ordered Wang Xueyi, commander of the 9th company, to chase after the remnants of the enemy. He personally led the 7th and 8th companies and the machine gun company to attack the enemy entrenched on the top of the mountain.
According to reconnaissance, this enemy is the 2nd Brigade of the 214th Wing, and the dying and struggling enemy resistance is extremely stubborn, and the mountain is steep, and the attacking troops have to pay the price of blood for every step forward.
Zhang Qi rushed to the front of the team desperately, and was climbing upward, when he was suddenly sniped by enemy machine gunners, and was hit by several bullets, bleeding profusely, and when his life was dying, he still used his last strength to shout: "Brothers! Rush and destroy the devil!"
Seeing this, the company commander Jiang Yuan mourned, raised his arms and shouted: "Destroy the devils!" and avenge the battalion commander!" With that, he jumped up and rushed to the top of the mountain with his troops, destroying more than 300 Japanese soldiers who were stubbornly resisting. Completely occupied the 501st Heights.
At this time, the 9th Company, the Search Company, the Engineer Platoon, and the Espionage Team also eliminated the enemy who had retreated to the foot of the mountain, and joined forces with the 2nd Battalion at Satan.
In this way, the 214th and 215th infantry wings of the Japanese army, as well as the two artillery and engineering wings of the Japanese army, which were besieging the 1st Division of Ringan Qiangying, were completely defeated by the 113th Regiment and retreated by water and land respectively, leaving only Araki's troops to continue monitoring and guarding on the south bank of the Inhe River.
When our army cleaned up the battlefield, it was found that the Japanese army not only abandoned a large number of munitions and 572 British and American civilian personnel captured by them, but also discarded more than 1,200 Japanese corpses.
Anyone who has fought with the Japanese army knows that there is a death rule in the Japanese army, and it is never allowed to abandon a corpse on the battlefield unless it is absolutely necessary.
However, the 113th Regiment also suffered 522 casualties, just when Liu Fangwu was immersed in the joy of victory, he suddenly learned that Zhang Qi was seriously injured and his life was dying, he and Sun Liren were very sad, and immediately climbed to the 501 heights, held Zhang Qi's unconscious arm with trembling hands, and said with tears like rain:
"Good brother, we have conquered Ren'anqiang, the British army has been saved, and you are leaving, how unkind is the heavens!"
Liu Fangwu arranged Zhang Qi's funeral, turned around and ordered Hu Dehua to lead the 3rd Battalion to garrison the 501 Heights and nearby points. The 1st Battalion was ordered to garrison the Ringanqiang and Binhe bridges. The 2nd Battalion was ordered to control the river and block the enemy's attack.
Sun Liren agreed to his disposition, and ordered the 112th Regiment at Kannat to come to Ringanqiang as soon as possible, so that they could attack the enemy on the 20th and take advantage of the situation to recover Magway. In addition, the 114th Regiment in Mandalay was also ordered to come to Ringanqiang to participate in the battle.
At the same time, he also asked Wells to lead water trucks, supply trucks, ambulances, and troop carriers to the oil field to rescue the officers and men of the British 1st Division, and Merrill and I walked with him.
The British 1st Division, which was on the verge of despair, finally survived and was completely saved. When the cars carrying water, food, medical treatment and transporting their retreat drove to these extremely weak officers and soldiers, who had been hungry and thirsty for days, it was strange to the Chinese that none of these poor British people had gone to get water and food.
Anglo-Burmese soldiers rescued by the Chinese army The picture comes from the Internet
With tears streaming down their faces, they rushed up with their very tired bodies and warmly embraced the Chinese soldiers who had relieved them and saved their lives.
Some people actually picked up the Chinese soldiers and threw them into the sky, and some people hugged the sweaty Chinese soldiers and kissed them wildly, and the carnival of these British soldiers reached the extreme, and even we were moved by it, and deeply felt how wonderful it is when a person is suddenly and unexpectedly rescued before death comes!
At this time, Major General Scott, commander of the 1st British Division, and Brigadier General Falwell, the brigade commanders, and Brigadier General Bokey (whom I knew well) found us in the crowd, and not only shook hands tightly, but also warmly embraced us, and insisted that we take them to meet Division Commander Sun and Regiment Commander Liu.
I advised them to put their troops together as soon as possible and seize the time to rest and recuperate. They ignored them, insisted on seeing Sun and Liu, and called Brigadier General Kodes, commander of the 13th Brigade, who had come to pick them up, to gather the troops, distribute water and food, treat the wounded, and arrange for a ride.
The three of them forced me to take them to see Sun Liren, I had no choice but to lead them to climb the 501 heights, as soon as they saw Sun and Liu, they stood solemnly and saluted, and then hugged Sun and Liu with tears in their eyes and wept silently, and thanked them vigorously, Sun and Liu's shirts were wet with their tears, and the scene was really touching.
At that time, Sun Liren was planning to transfer the 112th and 114th regiments overnight to attack the Japanese army the next day with the help of British tanks and artillery.
Unexpectedly, because the British army on the Western Front was shaken on all fronts, Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying had to give up the Battle of Pingmanna, and accepted Alexander's advice, and transferred the 5th Army to the area of Taze and Mintila to organize the Battle of Mandalay.
In this way, the new 38th Division was trapped behind enemy lines and could only undertake the task of covering the retreat of the British army, and the strategic results of the great victory of Ren'anqiang disappeared in an instant, which is regrettable!
From April 17 to 19, 1942, Colonel Liu Fangwu, commander of the 113th Regiment of the New 38th Division of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, with more than 1,000 officers and soldiers at the command post, armed with 4 mortars, 12 heavy machine guns, 81 light machine guns, and 566 rifles, defeated the Japanese 33rd Division with 36 mountain artillery, 24 rapid-fire guns, 16 anti-aircraft guns, and 48 armored vehicles in the Ringanqiang oil field on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River in western Burma (owed to the 2nd Brigade of the 213th Wing and the 5th Team of the 6th Mountain Artillery Team of rapid-fire guns).
Rescued 7,683 officers and men, 58 tanks, more than 100 artillery pieces, and more than 300 automobiles under Major General Scott, commander of the British 1st Division, who were trapped in the Ringanqiang oil field, and 572 British and American soldiers, priests, and reporters who were captured by the Japanese army before, killed more than 1,200 officers and soldiers under the Japanese army captain Takashi Takashio Takashi, captured a large number of equipment and weapons, and created a miracle in World War II that defeated the people with outnumbered, and won more with less.
This battle is famous all over the world and a sensation in the UK.
At that time, Field Marshal Slim, who served as commander of the Anglo-Burmese 1st Army in Burma and was later promoted to chief of staff of the British Empire and governor of Australia, personally expressed his warm gratitude to Commander Sun and Commander Liu after the battle of Ringanqiang, and said in his book "Turning Defeat into Victory":
"Chinese soldiers are excellent warriors. In the Battle of Ringanqiang in Burma, they not only defeated a strong enemy ten times their own strength and rescued the British army on the verge of despair, but also created a miracle in the history of war in which the few defeated the more, the weak defeated the strong, and the few saved the crowd, and won by surprise, which is an immortal model.
In that operation, General Sun Liren and Regiment Commander Liu Fangwu both displayed the fine traditions and qualities of Chinese soldiers, who were brave and calm, had extraordinary wisdom and courage, were calm, resolute, tactically flexible, and skillfully commanded, and were the best commanders.
In particular, General Sun Liren is brave and helpful, and the Virginia Military Academy should be proud to have General Sun Liren. They are the best commanders in any country. ”
However, later British historians changed, and the British journalist Henry Moore, who participated in World War II and served as a captain in the Royal Indian Artillery Corps in the Burma Theater, did not write about "the defense of Burma" and "counterattack on northern Burma" in his book "Major Battles of World War II", and did not mention "the great victory of Ringanqiang" in the two chapters "Imphal" and "Yangon" written by him.
In his "History of the Second World War", another British author, Basil Henry Liddell Hart, did not even mention the two major battles of "defending Burma" and "counterattacking Burma", and naturally did not mention the "great victory of Ringanqiang", which cannot but make people deeply regret and indignant!
Merrill and I (Major of the U.S. Army, later Brigadier General of the 5307th Regiment) were Stilwell's staff officers and experienced the whole process of the victory of Ringanqiang, and I felt that it was my responsibility to tell the truth to the world.