afterglow

Chapter 658: General Half-Spleen; Stable...stable!
"owl!!!"

"Lie down!"

In an instant, two flares launched into the air illuminated the area. The tracer bullets fired by nearby anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns were like fire whips, and several black shadows fell rapidly.

The Ming army soldiers called the Havoc attack aircraft with black night paint "Night Owls", which refers to owls, birds of prey that are active at night.

The hit rate of low-altitude bombing at night was very low. Only three bombs fell next to the Ming army convoy, and the rest fell too far away and only a noise was heard.

One of the AN-M64 500-pound conventional aerial bombs manufactured by the Pictini Arsenal was about ten meters to the right front of the armored command vehicle where Zhou Changfeng was riding. The 260 pounds of Amato explosive filled inside exploded instantly!

A bright flash and a deafening roar were heard at the same time. The rapid shock wave moved the command vehicle sideways by several centimeters, the bulletproof glass was completely shattered, and the whip-shaped antenna on the top was bent.

For American pilots, this was just a routine night harassment mission. They did not expect to achieve much results, but as long as they could make the enemy restless, they would consider it a success.

The left engine of a Catastrophe was hit by anti-aircraft machine guns and caught fire. The pilot quickly cut off the fuel supply, shut down the engine, switched to feathering mode, and then carefully flew the plane to the east.

"Hurry up and save people!"

"The commander was bombed!"

"The command vehicle flipped over!"

"What?!"

"Medic!"

The pungent smoke had not yet dissipated when the officers and soldiers rushed forward.

Soon, Zhou Changfeng and Zhao Hanfeng, who were dazed and confused, were dragged out.

Several people were quickly sent to the field hospital. Zhou Changfeng was the most seriously injured because he was close to the half-open rear hatch of the vehicle when the explosion occurred, and the shock wave overpressure caused greater damage.

Fortunately, the explosion point was at the right front of the armored vehicle, and the residual force was not great when it passed through the rear hatch and affected the interior of the vehicle. In addition, this bomb was the second-to-last batch of products from the Pictini Arsenal that was still filled with Amatol explosives, and later it was gradually replaced with pure TNT explosives with greater power.

Zhao Hanfeng and another major military intelligence officer had ruptured eardrums and small amounts of bleeding in their lungs, but were conscious.

Zhou Changfeng and the radio operator were not so lucky. They were in shock when they were sent to the field hospital.

Jiang Ning, who had just finished an abdominal surgery, was covered in blood. He heard the "beep, beep, beep" sound of sirens and noise coming from outside. He couldn't help but frown and cursed inwardly who dared to come here and make trouble.

When Jiang Ning saw Zhou delivering it in this state, he was stunned for half a second.

“Coughing up blood?!”

"Shut up! Tell me what's going on."

"Doctor! The commander's convoy was bombed by enemy planes! There's a bomb very close!"

Jiang Ning looked serious and gave a quick check. He turned his head and said to the others, "It's lung blood disease. Prepare the operation. Get the X-ray equipment ready."

The deputy director of the hospital also arrived soon after and used a small X-ray machine to check the body's internal condition. He and Jiang Ning pointed at the screen.

"It's not very obvious, but the liver and spleen should be injured."

"Use the hemostatic agent first."

"Okay." Jiang Ning turned around and gave instructions: "10 mg of vitamin K intramuscularly, 20 mg of 10% calcium intravenously, immediately!"

Vitamin K had only been artificially synthesized for the first time two years previously. This compound, which has the function of promoting blood coagulation, was of extraordinary significance. The war gave rise to the development of the drug, which was quickly promoted and used in the armies of major powers.

There are no particularly effective injectable hemostatic drugs these days. Ethamidine and carbaclorol, which are commonly used in clinical practice in later generations, are nowhere to be seen.

The operation was carried out quickly. Jiang Ning found that the symptoms of pulmonary hemorrhage were relatively mild, but the liver hemorrhage caused liver edema, and the ruptured spleen also caused a lot of bleeding, with a total bleeding volume of more than 400 milliliters.

Looking at the ruptured wound of the spleen, Jiang Ning felt very troubled - the spleen was too fragile, and if he chose to suture the wound, it would probably be ineffective because the wound and sutures were irregular and uneven, and if it bled again after the operation, it would be a disaster.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided to follow the principle of battlefield rescue surgery - saving lives first! So he partially removed the injured spleen and then sutured the neat incision tightly.

The shock wave overpressure caused considerable damage to Zhou's body and almost cost him half his life.

Military doctors are accustomed to such operations. They have probably performed hundreds of them in half a year, so they are very skilled.

"It's impossible to recover on this broken island. We need to send the commander back to the rear as soon as possible."

Jiang Ning picked up the aluminum kettle and took a big sip of the cold sugar water, then said this to the anxious officers.

After the highest commander becomes incapacitated, if there is no special assignment, the command authority will automatically be handed over to the chief of staff in the first place, the operations staff in the second place, and the commander of the subordinate unit in the third place.

The basic command center is under the charge of the chief officer, the reserve command center is under the charge of the combat staff, and the front-line command center is under the charge of the chief of staff. Zhou Changfeng and Zhao Hanfeng are actually in two different places most of the time, and they often only discuss battle strategies together for an hour or two.

Yao Liangchuan took out his pocket watch and looked at it, then said in an unquestionable tone: "General Zhao's injury is not serious, the troops will be handed over to him for the time being."

After discussion, the officers decided to get Zhou away from the front line as soon as possible, as it was too dangerous for him to stay there with his serious injuries.

After the last wave of harassing American night planes left in the second half of the night, he boarded the torpedo boat escorted by several bodyguards and a warrant officer military doctor.

The torpedo boat was found to be very bumpy when it was traveling at high speed, and the military doctor hurriedly shouted: "Slow down! Slow down! Jumping up and down like this will cause accidents!"

The captain disagreed with slowing down the ship because this sea area was full of dangers and no one knew when the American torpedo boat would suddenly appear from the darkness.

There was no other choice but to lift up the stretcher, hoping to cushion the ups and downs.

A corner of the sun appeared above the sea level, shining brightly, and the morning light of dawn sprinkled on the blue sea. Everyone couldn't help but lower their heads and squint...

The medical conditions in Honolulu are much better, and the noise of the battlefield is gone. At least you can no longer hear the sound of artillery and gunfire day and night.

Clean corridors, tidy wards, warm sunshine, and the doctors and nurses' clothes are finally no longer stained with blood.

After resting here for three days, a telegram from home broke the peace.

Honolulu Governor Yang Ye pondered and said, "Your Majesty and the cabinet all want you to return to Beijing to recuperate. This is... a request."

"Local hospitals are not much better than here." Zhou Changfeng was naturally reluctant.

So they delayed for another two days, and this time the special commissioner who was ordered to fly from the capital came. To be honest, Zhou Changfeng felt that it was extremely dangerous to fly back to the mainland under such circumstances, but his reason for refusing was invalid.

The HMS Shenting is expected to be transferred to Australia in December to carry out medical support missions and support the Australian Corps.

Taking the current situation into consideration, the Navy moved the date forward by half a month so that someone from last week could be included.

The medical ship, painted all white, sailed away from the Honolulu dock alone. Its specific route was to go to Wake Island first, then to Guam, then south to Moresby, and finally to Cairns.

However, when arriving at Wick Island, the Shenting dropped Zhou Changfeng off, and the passenger plane waiting there took off without stopping, landing in Saipan and Shuri for refueling, and finally landed safely at Yingtianfu Gaoqiao Airport.

After traveling all the way like this, when Zhou Changfeng was admitted to the Navy General Hospital, he felt that he was almost dying from the fatigue of the journey.

It was afternoon time. Nanjing in late autumn had been warming up recently and there was no chill at all. Instead, it felt a bit hot.

What puzzled Zhou Changfeng was that he didn't see his wife. He had thought about how to comfort her on the plane.

Soon, the most troubling scene occurred as expected - military and court officials came to visit one after another, and those who were too busy to come also sent their assistants to come.

At the same time, at the Zhou family residence, the anxious Xia Xiaoshi was on pins and needles, but the other person at the table forced her to be patient and maintain her posture.

"The little girl is very smart, that's great."

Zhu Lingjing, wearing light-colored clothes, sat leisurely on a chair, listening to the clear and melodious broadcast on the radio.

Ever since the imperial court instructed the Sun and Moon Society to change its announcers and voice, the somewhat sweet voice before and at the beginning of the war has rarely appeared and has become a memory for many people.

Previously, the worried Xia Xiaoshi had no appetite for lunch. After taking care of herself, she was ready to go to the hospital in advance to wait. As a result, Zhu Lingjing suddenly showed up as an uninvited guest.

She said she was not in a hurry to go because many people in the court would be queuing up to visit her, so it would be better to leave later so that it would be more quiet.

Zhu Lingjing felt very early on that Zhou Changfeng's vision was not mature enough. She was sure that Xia Xiaoshi's temperament might make her a good wife and mother in an official family, but she was not suitable to be a general's wife. However, she could not interfere and take away someone's love.

Now, after so much time has passed, the general's wife seems to be the same as before, with a hint of young girlishness, which must be very out of place among that group of noble ladies.

What made her feel most novel and interesting during this visit to Zhou's home was the pair of children. Although it sounds strange, she did feel a little envious.

Zhu Lingjing glanced at her watch, slowly stood up and said, "It's almost time, let's go."

The director of the Navy General Hospital was quite dissatisfied with the influx of visitors today, and finally sent them away half-invited and half-drove them away.

As a result, the emperor came in person at this time, and there was no way to dissuade him.

The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant. The nurse had just recleaned the corridor and the ward. Zhou Changfeng, who was half lying on the bed, was about to take a breath when he heard footsteps coming closer and closer outside.

what?
Zhou Changfeng was greatly surprised to see Xia Xiaoshi and Zhu Lingjing appear together.

The former walked over quickly, got closer and looked at it carefully, as if he was examining his own treasure.

"..." After seeing each other again after such a long separation, Xia Xiaoshi didn't know what to say for a moment. If Zhu Lingjing hadn't been there, she would probably have cried out of excitement.

The latter was much calmer. He walked slowly to the window and said calmly, "You should take good care of yourself when you come back. You just had surgery, so you should rest for two months first."

The attendant then presented her with a memorandum of injuries and a copy of the field hospital's surgical records.

"Bleeding in both lungs, bleeding and edema in the right liver, and local resection of the ruptured and bleeding spleen." Zhu Lingjing repeated to herself, then smiled and said, "You are lucky, but you will become a half-spleen general from now on."

"Oh!" Zhou Changfeng said regretfully, "My personal experience shows that it is very important to close the door. It was too hot in the car, otherwise I wouldn't have left the door open."

"If you were someone with a weaker life, you would probably have to learn from this lesson in your next life."

"Uh...Your Majesty is right."

After a moment of silence, Zhu Lingjing changed the subject and said, "We should maintain a defensive position in the direction of Hawaii. Since you said that the troops on Maui are sufficient to protect themselves, what about the rest?"

"the remaining?"

"Yes, the other islands."

Seeing them discussing, Xia Xiaoshi left first.

Zhou Changfeng watched his wife leave, and then replied: "There is one division on each of Niihau and Lanai, no more, no less. It won't be easy to fight hard, and it will take at least half a month. Now American public opinion does not allow for another bloody fight, so they probably won't try."

"The United States has recently been planning a pact to connect North and South American countries for cooperation. This is a military alliance." Zhu Lingjing paced back and forth. "Now the overall war situation is not in their favor, so they have begun to consider retreat."

"It's actually quite threatening. We can use some cannon fodder to fight against the enemy." Zhou Changfeng briefly listed them. "Even if Mexico gathers two more divisions, and Peru and Argentina each send out two divisions, that's six divisions. Although these six divisions are weak in combat, the impact of casualties will be much smaller."

"Only when we have the advantage can we calmly deploy our vassal troops. We have quite a few (vassal troops) in Australia and India, but it would be inappropriate to send them to Hawaii right now," said Zhu Lingjing.

The attacking side that holds the initiative is much more flexible in tactics and can use the vassal army as cannon fodder. If they cannot defeat them, they can retreat and rest. However, the defending side that is passively attacked is not suitable to waste transportation capacity to transport the vassal army. Being trapped on an isolated island will dampen morale, and who knows whether the unreliable vassal army will fail.

"Is there any need to increase troops on Oahu?"

"That's enough. We should focus on transporting supplies and bring a small number of soldiers with us to form a supplementary unit."

The situation the United States is facing now is also very serious. The strategic bombing of Germany has resulted in huge losses in technical equipment and personnel, but the results have not been satisfactory.

Since the beginning of the war, the U.S. Army Air Force has lost 7249 bombers of various types, 6720 fighters of various types, and 61265 crew members in the Iberian Peninsula, the Apennine Peninsula, and Western Europe.

The Royal Air Force was in a similar situation, with even greater bomber losses - British bombers were much weaker than American bombers.

Because of the disadvantages in fighter performance, the German army also suffered huge losses. However, as the defending side, as long as the German pilots did not die in the air combat, they could return to the sky quickly after landing, which was a big advantage.

In addition, the results achieved by the anti-aircraft artillery units should not be underestimated. The number of bombers shot down by anti-aircraft weapons accounted for slightly more than half of the total number of results. It can even be said that the anti-aircraft artillery units were the backbone of the force at certain times.

For Britain and the United States, they paid a huge price but saw no significant benefits. Intelligence showed that the output of most of the German military products increased instead of decreased. The only comforting thing about the strategic bombing was that the railway bridges and railway marshalling yards were severely damaged by the air raids, and many brand-new weapons and equipment were piled up in the German territory and could not be delivered to the front line in time.

"There are not many variables in this war. As long as Oahu is in my hands, the United States will be like a thorn in my throat." Zhu Lingjing put the injury memo on the table and said softly, "It won't be long before India and Australia will collapse without a fight. The food shortage in India and Australia is becoming increasingly serious, and there are no soldiers to make up for the population shortage in Australia. Well, so you just rest and recover from your injuries."

Steady!

"..." Zhou Changfeng pondered and said, "Your Majesty, how is Jinwu's recent progress?"

(End of this chapter)