"Commander Gao, I have never seen an army like yours. I sincerely admire the 500 Army. You don't know that because you insist on not changing your uniforms, the way Americans look at me has changed." "This is the first time I've seen such an expression on an American's face." Shao Jianguo's face was full of joy when he spoke. Only Gao Quan was beside him, and the others were far away.
Due to Gao Quan's support, the 500th Army's replacement of US military uniforms has been temporarily put on hold. However, this time it is not just the US military uniforms that need to be replaced. In addition to military uniforms, other weapons and equipment also need to be replaced, from rifles to pistols. From artillery to grenades, it can be said that the 500 Army will become a fully armed force from today on.
The gun was replaced by the US Army's 1903. Because the gun was similar to the Chinese Formal, the officers and soldiers of the 500th Army named it "Citi Central Formal". The artillery was assembled in the battalion, and large-caliber howitzers were also available. , anti-aircraft guns are also available, and the combat effectiveness of the troops has been improved by leaps and bounds.
Although the Kuomintang Ax paid for this, he held the same firearms and equipment as the US military, and naturally he was not so repelled by the Americans. The officers and soldiers of the 500th Army were even in the mood to start a fight with the US officers and soldiers. It's a joke, but when it comes to changing into US military uniforms, the 500 Army has no intention of compromising from top to bottom.
Gao Quan asked Wu Guangxing to be responsible for the on-site order of equipment replacement, and he went back to send a telegram to report to the Military Commission that the 500 Army was no longer under the jurisdiction of any war zone. They had become a force directly under the Central Military Commission. If necessary, he could directly Report to the Military Commission and the chairman of the committee. Whether this matter is big or small, it is definitely not small. If one thing is not handled well, it will lead to the situation that the committee often says: it will cause international disputes.
Gao Quan described in detail what happened in the telegram and stated his reasons: Before the 500 Army left the first theater, Commander Hu specially changed the entire 500 Army into brand new uniforms, the style of the Mao suit, Generous and decent, very suitable for Chinese people to wear.
He threw away his new military uniform less than a month ago and replaced it with an American military uniform. Firstly, he disrespected his Chinese identity. Secondly, he also caused huge waste. No, China's War of Resistance After eight years of work, the country's economy is in recession and people's livelihood is poor. Any form of waste is a crime. As a party member, Gao Shen must implement the principal's policy of strict frugality.
After Gao Quan¡¯s telegram was sent, he waited for a whole day but there was still no reply. It seemed that the principal supported the 500 Army in not changing their uniforms. Gao Quan secretly guessed the meaning of the appointment.
The change of clothes was actually not a big deal, and the United States did not immediately lodge a protest with the National Government. The chairman of the Chongqing City Committee was naturally unwilling to reprimand Gao Quan, who was about to go abroad to fight on behalf of the country.
In fact, from the Chairman's heart, he still appreciates Gao Quan's attitude in this matter. The 500th Army insists on not wearing US military uniforms, which shows that they are proud of being Chinese. Well, as the commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army, the Chairman must be happy to have such loyal subordinates.
Of course, it is impossible for the Chairman to publicly send a telegram to support the 500 Army without changing the uniform of the US military. Every word, deed, and action of the Chairman will attract attention from all parties at any time, and one careless move can lead to unpredictable changes. He will not Expressing a stance, whether to change uniforms or not is a matter for the 500 Army, and it is Gao Quan¡¯s personal attitude; if the chairman of the committee expresses his stance, he is representing the Chinese government, and Americans can¡¯t protest even if they don¡¯t want to, shrewd How could the committee member do such an unwise thing?
The Military Commission expressed silence on this, and General Solden, a former engineer at the Expeditionary Force Headquarters, did not pursue the matter further. In the end, the matter was settled, and the 500th Army only changed their weapons and equipment and still wore their clothes.[* **]The only special [***]artistics unit in uniform.
The Military Commission can ignore the fact that the 500th Army does not change its military uniforms, but it is always paying attention to the actions of this army in Longling. The weapons and equipment from the 500th Army have not yet been received, so the Military Commission The telegram arrived, urging the 500 troops to act quickly and not to waste time on the national border. He ordered Gao Quan to immediately lead his troops into Burma and join the US military in Yangon.
The transport plane took off, carrying the first batch of 500 army officers and soldiers directly to Mandalay. According to Shao Jianguo's request, Gao Quan arranged for Cai Feng to lead the Reading Li Brigade to fly to Mandalay. The first batch flew away, and Reading Li The remaining soldiers of the brigade camped in place, waiting for the plane to turn back and board the second and third batches. Gao Quan and the remaining three divisions of the 500 Army were preparing to leave by car.
With so many troops all in cars, how many transport trucks would it take to carry them away? Even the Americans couldn't summon so many cars at once. Shao Jianguo agreed well, but it was really time for the 500 troops to set off. , Lieutenant Colonel Shao was also dumbfounded. Even if all the cars in Longling were driven over, they would not be able to transport more than 20,000 officers and soldiers of the 500th Army at one time.
Gao Quan knew this would be the result a long time ago. Of course he would not embarrass Lieutenant Colonel Shao and the American officers and soldiers. No matter how much he complained, he would not be able to get more cars. There was no need to say a few unpleasant words to make everyone unhappy.
"Ziming, you lead the troops to stay and wait for the plane with Xiao Cai. Give me the heavy weapons in the brigade to take away. We will meet up in Mandalay."
"Yes." Zhao Ziming agreed loudly and took his 322 Brigade to see Brigadier Cai for tea, chat and wait for the flight.
"The 500th Division gets on the bus, and the rest of the troops follow me on foot to Lashio." The 500th Division is the main force, and we should try our best to maintain its physical strength. In case of an unexpected battle, the 500th Army can have a main force with sufficient physical strength. The troops are facing the battle. As for the remaining two divisions, who will have any objections if there are military seats accompanying them? The big problem that made Shao Jianguo scratch his head and couldn't think of a solution, Commander Gao can solve it all with just one sentence. .
Of course, Gao Quan said this. In fact, less than half of the troops of the 500th Army are actually on foot. After all, the 500th Army itself also has certain mobility. The armored corps has armored vehicles and tanks, which can carry soldiers; the baggage regiment There are hundreds of trucks. In addition to pulling baggage, it is no problem to bring some soldiers; the cavalry regiment is mounted on horseback, and these can be regarded as mobile forces.
The troops advanced southward along the winding Burma Highway. At the beginning, Gao Quan was indeed walking underground with the soldiers. He said this before setting off. You can't just forget what you say at the beginning.
The Burma Highway twists and turns in the middle of the mountains like a giant curved snake. The entire road was built entirely according to the mountains. It is said that in order to build this road, the Chinese government mobilized 200,000 workers. From the end of the 26th year of the Republic of China to August of the 27th year of the Republic of China, it only took eight months to open this international artery that passed through China's toughest mountainous areas, crossed China's most rapid rivers, and meandered for thousands of kilometers. car.