"Zhang ......" Then Stilwell called Zhang Chi: "For the British business...... I'm sorry, it's not something I can control! ”

"I understand, General!" Zhang Chi replied.

In fact, Stilwell didn't need to say anything to Zhang Chi at all, on the one hand, because Zhang Chi could understand Stilwell's difficulties at this time, and on the other hand, Stilwell was the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, and he didn't need to explain anything to Zhang Chi, the battalion commander.

Stilwell really didn't need to explain to anyone, he didn't even sell President Jiang's account, he fell out with President Jiang several times and even tried to get President Jiang down, and he always disdained to call President Jiang "peanut" in private.

But Stilwell felt that he needed to give Zhang Chi an explanation, not only because Stilwell regarded Zhang Chi as a friend, but also because Stilwell felt that if he didn't explain to Zhang Chi, he would have a sense of betrayal and deception.

"Don't you have anything else to say?" Stilwell's reaction to Zhang Chi was a little surprised.

He thought that Zhang Chi would have a lot of questions or complaints, but Zhang Chi just said: "I understand".

"No, General!" Zhang Chi replied: "I believe that you have fought for the interests of the Chinese army as much as possible, so I have nothing to say!" ”

Zhang Chi is very clear about this, not because he believes in Stilwell, but because the Chinese military at this time is a community of interests with Stilwell and even the United States.

"Hmm!" Stilwell nodded, paused, and confessed, "You have to be careful of the British, they may cause you some unexpected trouble." Also, I may have to send the British troops in the latter part of the battle! ”

"Understood, General!" Now Zhang Chi really understands that the British army is here to grab the merits of the war.

Objectively speaking, it is not easy for Stilwell to do this...... You must know that he used to be just a bare-bones commander, and he had nothing but American aid in his hands, but he relied on this American aid. Running back and forth between China, Britain, Burma, and India, he finally had the army of his dreams, but this army seemed to have all kinds of troubles, not only did it have contradictions between Chinese and American officers, which made Stilwell gradually lose strong control over the Chinese army, but on the other hand, Stilwell's actions were also subject to the constraints of China and Britain at every turn.

Needless to say, the British were constrained by the British, who controlled the logistics of the expeditionary force, which forced Stilwell to compromise on all fronts.

As for the Chinese side, President Jiang has always held the attitude of preserving strength. President Chiang hoped that the Chinese Expeditionary Force would be airlifted back to China after training, rather than fighting the Japanese in Burma. (Note: In history, most of the troops of the New Sixth Army, that is, Liao Yaoxiang, were airlifted back to China to fight)

But President Jiang was actually wrong at this point, the reason why the Chinese Expeditionary Force has such a strong combat effectiveness in Burma is because of an urgent heart to return to his hometown, and more importantly, the Expeditionary Force has almost endless logistical supplies in Burma, which is the basis for the Chinese Expeditionary Force to have amazing combat effectiveness.

Once the expeditionary force is airlifted back to China...... The urgency to return home is gone, logistical supplies will be greatly reduced, tanks, artillery, and air support will be even more fantastical, so it will not be able to play to its tactical advantages at all.

This is also the Chinese Expeditionary Force's ability to fight in Burma. The main reason why it became ordinary after being airlifted back to China.

The next day, the Sino-British forces set out.

The first target of the Sino-British coalition was Sib...... The reason why they chose Xib is because Xib is located between Mandalay and Lashio, and the Manla road and railway have to pass through here, as long as you take it. It would cut off Mandalay's connection with Lashio, making it impossible for the Japanese reinforcements to be sent to Lashio.

There were more than 4,000 Japanese troops stationed in Xib, and the information obtained from the Burmese showed that although there were more than 4,000 Japanese troops, these Japanese troops were too complicated. These included troops from the 29th, 56th, 113th, 146th, and 148th infantry wings and one artillery wing, as well as 23 other units.

The reason why this was the case was that the Japanese used Xibu as a rear reinforcement base...... The so-called rear soldier replenishment base. It refers to the fact that the Japanese army will often send the wounded and sick who have been slightly injured on the front line or have recovered almost in the hospital to a position on the second line, and once the wounded are healed or the front line is insufficient, these wounded and sick can be urgently replenished to the front line to participate in the war.

This is also the reason why the number of the Japanese troops stationed in Xibu is so complicated...... In fact, the Japanese army should have withdrawn these Japanese soldiers who had not fully recovered their combat effectiveness to Mandalay, but at this time, the Japanese army was in short supply, and the battle in the Imphal direction had already made them anxious, and a new situation appeared in the direction of Lashio, so the Japanese army hoped that these 4,000 Japanese troops could hold Hipp, which could ensure the connection between Lashio and Mandalay on the one hand, and on the other hand, it could also reinforce Lashio in an emergency.

But this idea of the Japanese army is obviously wishful thinking...... 4,000 Japanese troops, if this is on the domestic battlefield, it can withstand the attack of 20,000 to 40,000 Chinese troops, but on the Burma battlefield, it is impossible to be the opponent of the new 1st Division.

In fact, the Japanese army was not just wishful thinking in this place, but the entire battle of Imphal was wishful thinking.

This is not to say that the Japanese army's initiation of the Battle of Imphal was wrong, in fact, this strategy was correct, but Mutaguchi was very naïve to want to add additional troops to the Japanese 18th Division and let the 18th Division block the attack of the Chinese army in northern Burma.

Mutaguchi Lian also did not take into account one point at all: in the Battle of Lingbang and the subsequent Battle of Bamo, it was proved that the Chinese army could defend the Japanese army with a one-to-one force, so how could the 18th Division, which was more than 20,000 people, be able to block the attack of more than 60,000 people in two armies and four divisions of the Chinese army.

For example, in front of him, more than 4,000 Japanese troops faced more than 9,000 people of the new Chinese 1st Division...... The Japanese knew immediately that this battle would not end well.

Of course, there was also the Anglo-Indian 36th Division, which had more than 11,000 people, but the Japanese army did not take this division into account at all.

The Japanese commanders in charge of the garrison of Xib were Yamazaki Nobu and Osa, and when he discovered the Chinese army, he immediately sent a telegram to Mandalay and Lashio asking for help, but the reply he received made him despair, both sides meant: "We have no extra reinforcements, Yamazaki-kun must hold Xib at all costs!" ”

Nobukazu Yamazaki looked at the call back and sighed, in this situation in front of him, wanting to keep Xibu is tantamount to an idiot's dream. (To be continued.) )