mixed in the war

"Taiwan is an important barrier on the southeast coast of China, and is crucial to its national security. From a geographical point of view, it is a natural barrier for the provinces on the southeast coast of China. It is adjacent to Hainan Island in the south and echoes the Zhoushan Islands in the north. Take Taiwan As the center, connecting Hainan Island and Zhoushan Islands, the north and south points, constitutes a natural and powerful strategic coastal defense line, which is sufficient to protect the six provinces and cities along the southeast coast and the strategic depth in this direction. And the provinces along the southeast coast are China's economic and wealth The areas with the most accumulation, especially Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and Guangdong, can be regarded as the most developed areas in China. If we take the central part of Taiwan, which is exactly between these two deltas, as the center and Shanghai as the radius, draw a A circle with a radius of about 600 kilometers, the most developed provinces and cities in mainland China and one-fifth of the population are within this circle."

"In addition, from the perspective of sea and air transportation, Taiwan and the waters near the Taiwan Strait are located in the transportation hub of the Western Pacific region. It is not only the hub of China's north-south sea transportation, but also links Japan, North Korea, the Soviet Far East, and leads to Malaysia. The archipelago, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Europe and Africa must pass through!"

"The Chinese want to seize this place, in addition to the shame left by the Qing Dynasty, and more importantly, to curb the momentum of Japan's advance in another direction. It is impossible for the Japanese, and they will never dare to be in the situation where Taiwan is occupied Continue to launch attacks in the interior of China. Because its lifeline has been completely grasped by the Chinese. The distance from Taiwan to the mouth of the Yalu River at the junction of North Korea and China is only 900 nautical miles, and the distance to the mouth of the Beilun River at the junction of China and Vietnam is only 800 nautical miles. It is only about [-] nautical miles, and it is even closer to the Philippines. This distance can almost allow the Chinese Air Force to operate. Obviously, before the fighter jets that can fight the "Hellcat" appear, Japan cannot fight the Chinese Air Force at all. That is to say, once Taiwan Being led by the squadron. Not only will the Japanese army in the interior of China be threatened, but even its most proud navy will be forcibly suppressed by the Chinese Air Force, and even the Sea of ​​Japan may not be able to come out... and once Falling into such a situation, then, for resource-poor Japan, it can almost be said that it has lost the war."

Washington.

While reading the report sent by the U.S. military observer group, Hull looked at Roosevelt's face... As the Secretary of State, he understood Roosevelt's attitude towards this new round of world war very well, and he said in one sentence: The United States should participate in the war!But now the report of the U.S. military observer group is obviously somewhat contrary to Roosevelt's established strategy: if the Chinese really defeat Japan as quickly as they said, then that ancient empire will inevitably rise rapidly by taking advantage of the opportunity of the European war.That way.Will the United States still have a say in the Western Pacific in the future?

"What do you think of this report?"

Roosevelt looked serious.He can think of what Hull can think of.To be honest, he didn't think the observation team's report was very accurate, and he didn't believe that it was possible for the Chinese to take over Taiwan.After all, Taiwan is huge, an island only slightly smaller than Switzerland and larger than the Netherlands.And the Japanese have been operating on it for more than 40 years.Nearly half a century.The Chinese plan looks very tempting, but they want such a large area in one fell swoop.Obviously unreasonable.And if you can't take Taiwan from the beginning.The Japanese will definitely counterattack desperately. With the strength of the Chinese, they will definitely not be able to block such a fierce counterattack.After all, the Japanese even defeated the Soviets.However, as the president, he does not need to show his military talents, and he is also worried that he will make a fool of himself if he does not perform well, so he decides to ask other people first.

"This plan is very feasible."

See Roosevelt cast his eyes on himself.Marshall had to speak.But his opening made Roosevelt's heart sink.

"Is it feasible?" Roosevelt was somewhat unconvinced.

"This report comes from Dwight Eisenhower. Although he was only a lieutenant colonel before he became the head of the observation team, I am very optimistic about his ability. He is a buried talent." Marshall first recommended what he was optimistic about. People, and said: "Colonel Eisenhower proposed in the report. The Chinese don't have enough planes yet, so this plan is somewhat hindered. But the strategic position of Taiwan can be seen at a glance. The situation has been studied for more than a day or two. And his eyes are not just fixed on the domestic battlefield like other Chinese generals, on the front line of the confrontation between the Chinese army and the Japanese army. This person should be very confident from the very beginning. It is believed that China will win. Therefore, this should be the plan he originally planned to use to counterattack...He not only wants to drive the Japanese out of China, but also counterattacks the Japanese mainland! Taiwan is the base for his counterattack.”

"I know who that guy is, but what I want to know now is why do you say that this plan is very feasible at this time?" Roosevelt asked: "George, the Chinese should not launch a counterattack at this time! They didn’t have the strength and picked the wrong time.”

"The Chinese did not choose the wrong time." Marshall shook his head. "Mr. President, almost all of Japan's troops have been allocated. They have a large number of troops stationed in China, in Siberia, and now in Vietnam...especially In Siberia, they will have a decisive battle with the Soviets this year. Therefore, the Japanese government is almost doing its best to support there. Taiwan, as Japan’s most important colony, is also constantly sending personnel and materials to the front ... Although there is no information, I can be sure that it is extremely empty now! Therefore, if the Chinese launch a sudden attack, there is a high possibility that they will occupy one or two cities in a short period of time, and then, by air, quickly move One hundred thousand or more troops were transported there."

"But how do they deal with the Japanese counterattack?" Hull asked.

"Air Force!" Marshall replied, "fighter escorts, bombers to deter the Japanese navy, and transport planes to transport troops and supplies... Although their air force is still weak, as long as it is used well, the possibility of success is still very high. And obviously, It's entirely possible that their Air Force commander could have done that."

"They don't have many planes, especially the lack of advanced fighter jets. Taiwan is so important to Japan, so once the two sides go to war, the Japanese will definitely do their best, and even concentrate a large number of planes to consume the power of the Chinese. China's weak air force will be exhausted in a short period of time. In that case, their army in Taiwan will become a lone army and will be wiped out soon." Roosevelt said.

"It is true. But the premise is that... the Japanese are willing to give up their victory in Siberia!" Marshall said seriously, "Just like China has Japan, Japan has no advantage over the Soviet Union, except for the air force! So, unless you are willing to give up Siberia, give up The vast territory that is almost at your fingertips, give up the hundreds of thousands of troops that have rushed behind the Soviet Red Army, otherwise, in a short time. They will not be able to contain the Chinese offensive."

"But they still have an army. It is impossible for the Chinese to occupy the entire Taiwan in a short time, so as long as the Japanese seize the opportunity, they can transport a large number of troops to Taiwan. After all, almost all the coastal provinces of China are in their hands, and Taiwan is not far from mainland China. It’s not even far from mainland Japan,” Hull said.

"I am afraid that there are not many troops in Japan, and the only troops in China that they can return to aid. But the problem is that since the Chinese have formulated such a plan, how can they allow the Japanese troops in front of them to retreat easily?" Marshall said: "Even if the Chinese agreed to the Japanese retreat, wouldn't the Japanese battles since 1937 be meaningless? Because the Chinese would easily take back the territory they had taken. ...What's more, this weak performance will have a huge impact on China's anti-Japanese battlefield, and those who are willing to cooperate with the Japanese will inevitably decrease in a large area. And a country like China with a population of [-] to [-] million, once there Most of the people are on the opposite side of Japan. For a resource-poor country like Japan, it will also be a disaster. The severity of the consequences may even be no less than that of Taiwan. In the long run, It could be even scarier."

"That is to say. The Chinese chose the right time?" Roosevelt asked, wrinkling his forehead.

"Not only is the timing right, the Chinese can even advance and retreat freely to a certain extent." Marshall said: "As long as their air force still maintains an advantage, even if they lose a land battle in Taiwan, they can retreat calmly. However That will test their commander's grasp of the situation."

"According to the report of our observation team, China does not lack excellent military officers. They just lack a strong industrial base and a fairly unified government." Hull added another sentence.

"You mean that we have to return the planes we seized to the Chinese?" Roosevelt was troubled.He thought this plan was not feasible, but Marshall's analysis made him a little uneasy again.In his opinion, if he were Chiang Kai-shek, when the war between China and Japan has reached the current stage, if he encounters such a plan with the possibility of success, he will most likely take the risk.If it fails, it is enough to lose some soldiers in the rear, as long as most of them can be withdrawn.And once successful, this is tantamount to a turning point in the war.

"I'm afraid so." Marshall said lightly: "We are not the only choice for the Chinese. If we don't return those planes to the Chinese, I doubt they will turn to the Soviet Union to make a request! And I am almost sure that the Chinese ambassador They are pinching the watch and waiting for our reply, and if we do not reply within the specified time, then another Chinese ambassador who is also waiting in Moscow may propose this plan to Stalin... I believe that the Soviet Union The Chinese side will be very happy to see the Chinese carry out this plan. It will be beneficial to the Siberian war situation!"

"But it's not good for us." Hull also frowned slightly, "The Chinese have been very tough recently. It can be seen from their sudden occupation of the French colony. And once their actions are successful, but we have not If it plays a good role in it, then it will not be so easy to obtain corresponding benefits in China in the future. Moreover, a China with a strong air force and a certain degree of aggressiveness will also affect our forces in Southeast Asia. It’s a huge threat. After all, Taiwan is very close to the Philippines.”

"That is to say, we have no choice?" Roosevelt asked rhetorically.

"At present, it seems that the Chinese are still afraid to provoke us. But the problem is that if they really defeat Japan alone, they will rise." Hull said: "In the long run, a rising China definitely has the ability to challenge us. ability."

"Okay, I know all of this... I just want to ask now, after we seized those planes, did the Chinese ask us for them before?" Roosevelt asked suddenly.

"No. That Ambassador Hu only called twice to protest, and there has been no movement since then." Hull smiled wryly.He also understood Roosevelt's meaning... The Chinese have always been not in a hurry, obviously knowing it well, and they are simply waiting for them to hand over the plane by themselves.

"I hate the Chinese, and now I hate the Chinese even more!" Roosevelt leaned back on the sofa in frustration, "Give them the plane..." (to be continued...)