Sergeant Mongkut Chandrapa na Ayuthya sighed gently and shook his head. He’d just received a rare treat, a letter from home, and he treasured its contents. Well, most of them, he thought. His daughter Sirisoon was in trouble again, for fighting at school. Again. Apparently, one of the boys had kept pulling her hair while she was repeating her lessons to the teacher. She turned on him and scratched him so badly he’d had to be sent home. He was actually quite proud of her for doing that. Most girls of her age would have just run away or cried. My daughter had turned and fought her tormentor. Come to think of it, I am actually doing much the same thing right now.
“Sergeant, I can hear something.”
Corporal Pon spoke very, very quietly. The observation point was right on the banks of the Mekong River, shielded from the water only by some tree-trunks and bushes. At this point on the river, the water flowed smoothly and steadily. Sound would reflect over it. That is probably what the Japanese were forgetting. The sounds of hammering and movement their side of the river was faint, but clearly audible.
“I hear it too. Stay alert and watch for any movement.” One good thing was that the moon was up. The Japanese would be visible in the reflections of the moonlight off the water. Mongkut was pleased with the way Pon was working out. He’d selected him for promotion on the advice of the other Sergeants, who had reminded him that a popular Corporal might be so because he was too slack on the men. They’d been right; the very qualities that had made Pon unpopular as a private had worked well for him as a corporal.
Mongkut slid backwards and made his way to the platoon command post, set well back from the river. The plan was to drop back when the Japanese attacked so that their blow would meet nothing but empty air. Then, when the Japanese were over the river and trapped on the Thai-held side, the 11th would counterattack and drive them back. There was no doubt that the Japanese would attack. Word of how the commander of the Burapha Payak Corps had insulted and publicly humiliated a very important Japanese officer had spread through the whole Army. Even better, the commander of the corps was a Princess; that had added extra spice to the story. By the time the story had finished spreading, it had been elaborated with extra details of how the Japanese officer had burst into tears at the humiliation and had been so demoralized that his men had to restrain him from committing suicide.
“Sir, we heard movement across the river. Hammering and voices speaking. I think the Japanese are assembling boats.”
Lieutenant Somchai was looking at the map spread out on his table. North of his position, the Mekong had split into a vast maze of tiny rivers, each deep and fast flowing. The combination of thousands of small islands and an ever-changing maze of waterways made launching any kind of cross-river offensive impossible. South of his position, the river split in two around a large central island. Any Japanese attack there would have to occupy the island first. They hadn’t. Further south still, the river entered another stretch dominated by rapids; a profusion of fast flowing streams and thousands of tiny, snake-infested islands. By the time the river became crossable again, it was not far north from Phnom Penh. The Thai Army hadn’t got there yet, although the fourth regiment of the 11th Infantry was advancing fast in that direction. First Regiment was on the outskirts of Siem Reap. Second and Third Regiments were here, waiting for the Japanese assault that had to hit this single, 14 kilometer stretch of the river. There was, quite simply, nowhere else the Japanese could make the crossing. Somchai knew he was only a lowly lieutenant, but he could see that this particular stretch of the Mekong was going to be strategically very important one day.
“Very well. The observation points are on full alert?”
“Yes, sir.” Mongkut noted a touch of reproof in his voice. He felt his lieutenant should have realized that would be the case; but he reminded himself that it was a lieutenant’s job to check on such things.
“Make sure they remember the orders. As soon as the Japanese start to cross they are to drop back, keeping the enemy under observation but not impeding his move forward.”
“I will remind them, sir.” Mongkut guessed what the plan was. The Japanese had shown in China that they were attack-crazy; their first reaction was always to attack an enemy in front of them. There was a long ridge a kilometer or so behind the riverbank; one that the Japanese would have to take before they could go anywhere else. Mongkut was quite sure that ridge was defended by every unit that could be brought up. The Japanese would be trapped between the defenses and the river.
The only thing that worried Mongkut was that if he, a sergeant, could see it, the Japanese officers surely could.
“We’re getting reports in from all the forward pickets. The Japanese are active all along this stretch of the Mekong. You were right, Highness.”
Suriyothai restrained herself from replying ‘of course.’ It hadn’t actually taken much effort to see that the Japanese assault had to come here. It wasn’t just that the river was crossable at this point. There was a good road network centered on this area; that would ease Japanese supply problems.
There were three airfields within a few minutes flying time. The Japanese only had one division available for the assault, so they didn’t have the manpower to do anything elaborate. Then, again, they don’t think they will need to do anything more than a simple charge. They’ve learned a lot of very bad lessons from the fighting in China. Coupled with their overweening self-confidence, they’ll destroy themselves on these defenses.
“The reinforcements are ready?” There were two regiments of the 11th Infantry spread along the ridge, dug in to bunkers and entrenchments. A regiment of the First Cavalry had arrived as well; they were the reserve in case anything went wrong. Finally, she had moved the assault engineer battalions from the Ninth, Eleventh and First Cavalry Divisions up. They had unloaded their equipment and were waiting in the dead ground just below Ridge 77. When the time came to counterattack, those assault engineers would lead the way. And may the Good Lord Buddha have mercy on the Japanese when they do.
“They are, Highness, and the artillery is in position, waiting. We have the 150mm guns on call.” General Pridi hesitated before continuing. “Highness, the combat engineers. Do we have to use them this way?”
“The Japanese are foolhardy in attack but tenacious in defense. They have shown that in China. We will break them on our defenses here but throwing them back across the river will involve hard fighting. We will have to crush their defense thoroughly. I do not intend to sacrifice one more of our soldiers than absolutely necessary. Those engineers are the key to everything.”
Suriyothai looked down on the ground that lay between the main line of the Thai defense and the river. It was invisible in the darkness but it was there. The Mekong, probably the strongest defense line in Asia. Once before, her country had held these positions; but they had been a medieval, primitive army where spears were still regarded as viable weapons. Against Europeans with breech-loading rifles, they had stood no chance. They’d had to compromise, prevaricate and appease their enemies. Now, they had tanks, artillery, machine guns, aircraft and, most important of all, the knowledge of how to use them. This, here, was the decisive battle and everything depended on it.
For a brief moment, the waterfall of colored lights filled her mind. She saw the thread of events she had first detected the previous year. It glowed strong and firm; all the threads converged here. Once this battle was won, the French would concede. Her country would have the Mekong back as its primary line of defense. Her Army would have crushed the French and the Japanese. That would provide the security and stability guarantee that would cause the Hongs to make Bangkok their base. With them would come prosperity for her people and tax income for her government. Defeating the Japanese would put her country firmly in the American camp and ensure their support. Her country’s position secured, they would become the guardian of the back door to India and thus a trusted Indian ally. And that was the opening door to a real position on the world stage. The mouse would have become an elephant.