12dz Chapter 845: Opening the Northbound Passage
Chapter 845: Opening the Northbound Passage
845 opens the northbound channel
The New 1st Division, after quickly defeating the Japanese troops heading south in the Songkhla area, did not dare to stay for a moment.
Under Lu Dahai's order, the entire division immediately headed north.
“Tell the First Regiment that I will hand over all my armored vehicles and trucks to their regiment.
Let them march north as quickly as possible.
In addition to pursuing the remnants of the Japanese 56th Division that we had just defeated.
Their most important task was to go north to capture Prachuap Khiri Province, which was the most important passage to the north into Siam.
After you take over Banwu Mansion, guard it for me.
Ensure that the main force of the division can pass smoothly after arriving."
At the division headquarters that was about to move, Lu Dahai quickly issued his new combat orders to the staff officer beside him.
The staff officer next to him quickly wrote down Lu Dahai's order with a pen.
Go and order it immediately.
"Commander, the division headquarters can be moved now.
Let’s go too.”
The Chief of Staff walked in and said.
"go!"
Soon, the main force regiment of the New 1st Division, which received the order, quickly assembled and used the trucks and armored vehicles assembled by the entire division.
Their entire regiment can carry out mechanized marching and move quickly north at a speed of 20 to 30 kilometers per hour.
Just half a day later, the regiment caught up with them, including many defeated Japanese soldiers and a large number of puppet army soldiers.
"Commander, the dozens of devils we caught up with have all been killed.
But we also captured more than 2,000 Japanese vassal soldiers, whose identities were somewhat complicated.
There are Siamese, Malays, and even Baek.
What will happen to these prisoners?"
After a brief and fierce battle, a battalion commander ran over and asked the regiment commander for instructions.
“Take these prisoners and leave a squad to guard them.
Wait for the division commander to arrive with the main force and hand it over to the division headquarters for processing.
The main force of our regiment will continue to advance northward and will depart in half an hour. No one is allowed to delay even a minute."
The commander of the first regiment decisively abandoned these prisoners who were holding him back and continued to advance northward.
Time is of the essence for them now.
Both Lu Dahai and the commander of the first regiment must have guessed that the Japanese commander Yamashita Tomoyuki, after learning the news that their New First Division was heading north.
We can only know the intention of the New 1st Division to move north.
The best place to stop their New 1st Division is the narrow peninsula route from the Malay Peninsula to Siam.
Once their New 1st Division crosses this narrow peninsula and enters the heart of Siam.
The Japanese, who were already short of troops in the rear, would certainly not be able to stop the more than 10,000 people of the New 1st Division.
Therefore, the best place for the Japanese to attack was a road on the Malay Peninsula.
And Prachuap Khiri Province is the last strategic point where this highway enters the heart of Siam.
If Lu Dahai wants to capture this place, the Japanese will definitely want to defend it.
And it’s the same as Lu Dahai guessed.
Just when he ordered his New 1st Division and the 1st Regiment to rush north to capture Banwu Mansion.
On the Japanese side, Yamashita Tomoyuki also realized the importance of Banwu Mansion, a strategic location.
Immediately let all the last Japanese soldiers in their rear move south quickly with more than 10,000 vassal troops.
He also wanted to take control of Banwu Prefecture before the arrival of the New 1st Division and build stronger defensive fortifications here.
Perhaps, it can stop the New 1st Division that is about to arrive.
In this way, the commanders of both sides tacitly set their sights on the same target at the same time.
"Baga, everyone get in the car.
Full speed ahead.”
In the evening, the last regiment headquarters of the 56th Division, which received orders from Yamashita Tomoyuki, immediately assembled.
Before dawn, the Japanese semi-mechanized corps, carrying enough weapons, ammunition and supplies, headed south again.
The goal is to capture Banwu Mansion.
Two days later, the vanguard troops of the 1st Regiment of the New 1st Division arrived, transported by motorcycles, trucks and armored vehicles.
It approached the southern part of Banwu Prefecture.
"Report to the commander, our reconnaissance team has sent a message.
They discovered traces of the Japanese army in the north of Banwu Prefecture.
The Japs arrived a lot earlier than our group."
The deputy regiment commander walked in and reported to the regiment commander with a frown.
The regimental commander ignored him and asked after a moment, "Can you confirm the strength of the Japanese troops?
How many of them are genuine devil soldiers, and how many are traitors?"
"Commander, I'm not sure about this.
Our reconnaissance team did not dare to get too close to this second group of Japanese troops heading south.
But from their observations and estimates, this time the Japanese still have a regiment of troops heading south.
The specific number has not been determined yet.
As for the traitors brought by the Japs, their number was even greater, probably tens of thousands."
"So many traitors?"
After hearing this, the leader of the first regiment was also a little surprised.
The number of Japanese troops coming this time is quite large, and it may be difficult for their one regiment to resist.
But at this time, they had no way to retreat and could only move forward.
"Damn it, who cares how many traitors the Japs bring this time, who cares how many of them there are.
Pass on my order, the entire regiment will immediately launch a fierce attack on Banwu Mansion and strive to capture it before dark.
It’s quite a lot, and it’s hard for us to explain to the commander.”
The commander of the first regiment was originally very cautious, but suddenly he remembered the harsh orders given to them by Lu Dahai.
Now, they cannot retreat and can only move forward.
We must seize and occupy Banwu Mansion before the Japanese invaders do.
Boom boom boom!
Soon, a large number of soldiers from the First Regiment, under the cover of artillery fire from several armored vehicles, launched a fierce attack on Ban Wu Mansion.
The last regiment of the Japanese 56th Division arrived at Banwu Mansion later than the first regiment.
They have already lost the opportunity to occupy Banwu Mansion.