afterglow

Chapter 522: Asking for trouble; the bad habit of not having experienced hardship

There is a six-hour time difference between Hawaii and Washington, and a telegram about the sudden change in the war situation in Oahu was sent to the White House in the afternoon of that day.

The same telegram was delivered to Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, and soon he was speeding down Pennsylvania Avenue in a Cadillac limousine.

When he arrived at the entrance of the White House, the staff led him inside and went straight inside.

As soon as he saw the president, George Marshall said solemnly: "What a bad day. The Chinese have landed on Oahu, and they now have two feet in Hawaii."

What he means is that the Ming army's capture of Kauai was one foot before, but now its landing on Oahu is the second foot.

"What's the best thing to do now? Will Oahu's defenses collapse?"

"Mr. President, we only have limited intelligence right now. The enemy has landed on the Mokapu Peninsula. The defense lines there have collapsed and our troops are collapsing."

Compared to the less rigorous report, George, as the chief of staff, was obviously more professional. He elaborated on a series of battles that occurred this morning.

Everyone looked ugly. Although the office hall was bright and clean, the atmosphere was very depressing.

"hope so."

If we adopt the logic of consequentialism, we can easily conclude that Oahu is about to be lost based on past battles.

The training of the second batch of expanded infantry divisions of the US military has not yet been completed. As for the first batch of infantry divisions, they are now forming a defense line in western Spain to prepare to fight against the aggressive German army.

The enemy won't wait for you to update and gain experience.

The war between the Ming Dynasty and the United States looks more like a sharp arrow shot from a bow. The number of troops projected across thousands of kilometers across the ocean is limited, and they can only be small and precise.

But the German army in Europe is different. Although the terrain of the Iberian Peninsula is complex and it is not suitable for investing heavy troops, the army is land after all, connected by roads and railways. The total number of German army and air force units that have been deployed still exceeds 70 Ten thousand.

George Marshall analyzed: "The area controlled by the enemy is cut off by the Koolau Ridge. It is difficult for them to quickly expand their results. The Army on Oahu has enough time to adjust its deployment. Mr. President, the most important thing now is to regain the sky of Hawaii." ”

There is no way, even so, we can only bite the bullet and mass-produce some, no matter how bad it is, it is better than nothing. The Army placed an order for 2600 vehicles and recently placed an additional order for 1200 vehicles. Combat units have been urging the delivery of usable tanks.

Looking back on the past, once the Ming army successfully landed on the island, the final result was self-evident.

The latter has been reluctant to agree, saying that it will only follow its previous decision for the time being - only provide financial loans and material assistance, and will not send troops to Russia.

The consequences of prolonged peace and the storage of weapons and weapons are very unpleasant, but they were planted by the Americans.

Such a huge force brings a strong sense of oppression, but public opinion is highly confident. It is obvious that the people are not willing to accept the vulnerability of the United States military.

"Oahu still has strong batteries and sufficient combat forces, and I think we still have a chance."

The overall performance of the P-40 fighter jets being mass-produced by the Army Air Force is inferior to the Bf-109E; the M3 37mm anti-tank gun equipped by the infantry units is no longer able to effectively destroy German medium tanks.

The report submitted by an assessment team is also very important, pointing out that the fighter jets, anti-tank guns, and tanks currently equipped by the US military are far behind those of the European army and are not capable of modern warfare.

The problem of tanks is even more pessimistic. The prototype of the cutting-edge M3 medium tank is being tested and has not yet begun mass production, but the British bluntly stated that "they cannot defeat their opponents."

Intelligence analysis from the United Kingdom pointed out that Berlin has recently been discussing the next strategy. There are rumors that the upper echelons of the German Society hope to capture the Fortress of Gibraltar and then march into Africa.

The current war situation in Europe makes the upper echelons of Britain and the United States sleepless. The British firmly believe that only with the help of Russia can they achieve the purpose of containing the German Society. Winston has written many times, hoping to persuade Franklin to allow the United States to participate.

This is only a small part. The daunting main force of millions of German troops are on standby at home. A new army group is also being formed, with plans to send to the Apennine Peninsula to eliminate Benito's regime in one fell swoop.

The president's concern is that the existing military strength is stretched thin and the technical equipment cannot be put to good use.

"The Germans are also preparing for an offensive." President Franklin Roosevelt looked out the window worriedly. "This is a difficult time, but it should not be any grayer than the Great Depression."

While the president and chief of staff continued their discussions, the fighting on Oahu continued.

At 7:15 in the evening of July 17, the sun had already set, and the afterglow was blocked by the green and continuous Keolao Ridge.

On the west road, the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Regiment of the 4th Marine Brigade of the Ming Army, which landed at Kaneohe Bay, has taken control of this town without encountering any resistance. The dozen or so casualties all came from accidents or accidental attacks.

In the middle, the 1st Battalion of the 7th Regiment of the 4th Marine Brigade landed on the Mokapu Peninsula from the front. After capturing the naval air station here, they continued to advance in depth. They had a smooth journey and captured many prisoners.

The Ming armies on the West Road and the Middle Road had successfully joined forces in the afternoon, and soon there were off-road vehicles and three-wheel sidecar motorcycles speeding on the road.

The second battalion sent a team to reinforce the Nuuanupali Pass, and the main force relied on Kaneohe Town to set up positions; the first battalion organized a reinforcement team to attack the southeastern Kailua Town, intending to capture it with the Donglu Ming Army. at.

On the east route, the Third Battalion of the Sixth Regiment of the Third Marine Brigade was under greater pressure. Their 19 men faced the -strong U.S. th Infantry Regiment.

However, the counterattack organized by the regiment leader, Colonel Barzel, ended in failure. The corpses scattered on the beach and the smoking half-track wreckage can prove that the losses of this infantry regiment were not small.

The third battalion also suffered about 200 casualties. They did not dare to be too reckless. After the battalion commander sent a message to Zhou Changfeng for instructions, he decided to stick to the landing site and only sent a few reconnaissance teams to quietly sneak into Kailua Town to explore the enemy's situation.

The US military aircraft fleet taking off from Lanai Island bombed the Ming army's landing force, and many transport ships anchored offshore to unload cargo were attacked.

In the air raid, one-third of the ammunition and food were destroyed, and more than 100 people were injured or killed.

Fortunately, the loss of technical equipment such as howitzers, anti-tank guns, tanks, tractors, generators, artillery scopes, telephone switches, etc. was minor.

The combat unit of the Ming Dynasty Air Force performed quite funny in this battle. Due to poor coordination, the heavy fighter, light fighter, and dive bomber formations did not merge according to the scheduled flight arrangement.

The heavy fighter jets that were the first to arrive saw that their own fleet was under attack. Of course, they responded without hesitation. Although they shot down several enemy planes, they also got carried away during the pursuit and actually got entangled with the US F4F Wildcat.

How can the maneuverability of a double-engine heavy combat match that of a single-engine light combat?
The Ming army pilots were asking for trouble. They suffered the same losses as the German Bf-110 pilots over Britain in Hawaii. In the end, only one Type heavy fighter escaped.

However, this could not change the current situation. The Ming army still controlled a large area in the northeastern part of Oahu, and the key Nuuanupali Pass was also captured by it. This situation made Chester Nimitz very uneasy. He tried his best to maintain the composure and coolness that a senior general should have, but his anxiety also made him think about food and drink.

Major General Duward-Wilson, commander of the 24th Infantry Division, is currently responsible for full command of the ground combat. His analysis is that the existing troops can only barely protect themselves, delaying as much time as possible, waiting for the mainland to come to relieve the siege.

"Our factory can manufacture an aircraft every fifteen minutes. As long as we can regain the air supremacy of Oahu, everything will be fine." He encouraged his subordinates.

Currently, the main forces of the US military on Oahu are the 7th Infantry Division and the 24th Infantry Division, which is short of one regiment.

The former suffered heavy losses due to its wrong counterattack on Kauai not long ago, with more than 3,000 casualties, and two of its regiments almost lost their combat effectiveness; as for the latter, one regiment is still stationed on Maui.

Except for these two infantry divisions, which are both short of strength, the only fully-staffed unit of the US military is the 501st Airborne Regiment, which was flown in a few days ago, totaling about people.

There is also a makeshift 296th Independent Infantry Regiment, totaling about people.

A few months ago, Chester Nimitz decided to abandon Wake Island and Midway Island. Through Operation Magic Broom, the garrison on the two islands was safely withdrawn to Hawaii, excluding the naval service personnel, and the army combat units were mixed into this independent infantry. corps.

坦克部队也有一些，包括第703独立中型坦克营、第707独立中型坦克营、第602坦克歼击营、总共有111辆M2中型坦克、34辆M2A4轻型坦克、36辆GMC-M2半履带坦克歼击车。

These tank destroyers are emergency gadgets that the Americans were forced to cook up, but they can indeed meet their needs.

Seeing the German armored forces sweeping across Europe with overwhelming force, the U.S. military on the other side of the ocean was greatly uneasy. Because they were preparing to go to Europe to participate in the war, the inferior anti-tank weapons were disturbing. Small-caliber anti-tank guns were difficult to use, and production was not enough.

However, the Americans found that they still have more than 7897 M75 75mm field guns in stock, which are imitations of the Miss . Although this kind of cannon from the last century is old, it is still powerful and can penetrate large areas. Part of the tank's frontal armor.

So the Americans installed it on the M2A1 half-track to enhance its mobility, and finally got the Mobile Artillery Carrier (GMC). This was also the case historically, but the half-track models were slightly different.

【Picture】

As for the aviation force, although several major airports are under control, the fighter force has already suffered heavy losses in resisting the Ming Army's Father's Day Offensive.

截止7月15日，陆军航空队还剩14架P-36和P-40、海军航空队还剩11架F4F野猫、海军陆战队航空队还剩6架F2A水牛和F4F野猫。

Such a remnant and defeated general is obviously unable to compete head-on for air supremacy, and can only barely defend the airspace of Lanai and Maui. At most, it can launch a few sporadic attacks and engage in aerial guerrilla warfare.

There are still 203 dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and level bombers. However, without fighter cover, these aircraft attacking alone are just like seeking death.

On July 7, just like yesterday, the Kauai Ming Army continued to increase its troops to the Mokapu Peninsula.

A cargo ship was ambushed by a US submarine in the waters north of Oahu. The ship was carrying more than 1,200 people from the 8th Regiment of the 4th Land Combat Brigade. Fortunately, our own side had air superiority and the transport fleet was able to carry out rescue operations with peace of mind. In the end, more than 900 people were rescued.

As more and more troops successfully landed, the Ming army began to advance in both directions, north and south.

At Bello Airport in the south, the 19th Infantry Regiment withstood two attacks, but after being bombarded by the air force and navy, it was soon unable to support itself and its position was crumbling.

At 7:18 in the morning of July 7, it was a clear and refreshing day. The 15st and nd Battalions of the th Regiment of the th Marine Brigade launched a general offensive with the support of the brigade's chariot convoy.

In an instant, as two red flares of the general attack took off, dense artillery fire began to extend backwards, and more than a thousand officers, soldiers and tanks swept across the airport runway like a tsunami.

The US military position suddenly collapsed. The 19th Infantry Regiment abandoned most of its heavy weapons and retreated in panic. Even so, three companies of the regiment were still annihilated by the organic formation.

The regiment's headquarters was particularly unlucky. During the hasty retreat, a Stypunk truck knocked over two jeeps in a row, and then immediately suffered heavy shelling, causing heavy casualties. The regiment leader, Colonel Barzel, was shattered on the spot. He was killed and the regimental flag was blown to pieces.

The Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers who followed in pursuit discovered the tattered regimental flag while cleaning the battlefield. The failure to completely capture the flag became a major regret for the Eighth Regiment of the Fourth Marine Brigade.

In the afternoon of the same day, aviation commander Colonel Clarence issued an order for the US military to launch a large-scale air raid in an attempt to delay the progress of the Ming army.

Dozens of bombers of different types attacked the Ming army's beachhead, destroying more than 400 tons of supplies that had just been unloaded ashore.

However, the second wave of air strikes was not so lucky. Due to the lack of cover from escort fighters, the bomber formation was intercepted. Most of the bombs were thrown into the sea and returned in vain. A total of 21 aircraft were shot down.

"There is no movement from the enemy's or our own navy. That's fine. Let's hurry up!"

"Uh... Chief Soldier, our supplies are not very rich, why don't we wait a little longer?"

Seeing that neither navy had any intention of starting a fight, Zhou Changfeng decided to seize the time and open a second landing site as soon as possible.

Landing on the Mokapu Peninsula can be regarded as a move to attack the east and west. While occupying a foothold, it can also attract the attention of the US military and contain some of its forces.

However, the constraints of the terrain are the same for both sides. It is difficult for the US military to counterattack, and it is difficult for the Ming army to launch a large-scale attack.

Because of this, landing in the Haleiwa area is a must.

What's currently holding us back is logistical problems. We don't have enough supplies shipped across the vast ocean. In other words, the Ming army, navy and air force are not bad at squandering ammunition and firepower.

He, Zhou, had no control over the naval fleet, but the material consumption of the ground forces under his control was more than expected every time, and even at least once it was 20% more.

He had no good solution for this. Verbal requests had no effect. The lack of attention in mentality could not be corrected through verbal criticism. It could only be said that this was a delicate problem that had not experienced hard times.

"How long will it take to fill the gap?" he asked the lieutenant colonel in charge of military supplies.

"We have to wait for the next fleet to arrive, which will probably take six or seven days," the latter replied.

"According to my estimate, it's more than enough. Why isn't it enough?" Zhou Changfeng was unhappy when he heard this and waved his hands to refuse decisively. "No wait, don't miss this opportunity. Follow plan No. 2. The troops are ready to board the ship."

【Picture】

(End of this chapter)