Shadow Spy

Chapter 373 Promoted to Rear Admiral

While checking intelligence from Europe, Li Junhao noticed a piece of news leaked from the German base camp: It is said that when Hitler learned the news of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, he immediately lost his temper and furiously cursed the Japanese, leaving everyone present at the scene. People were stunned with fear.

This news seemed like gossip, but Li Junhao believed it.

Of course, Hitler knew that there was one mistake he could not make during this planning process - do not let the United States get involved!This can be seen from the actions of the German Navy: German submarines attacked almost all passenger and cargo ships heading to the British Isles in the Atlantic Ocean, but they did not attack ships flying the American flag!

As the war progressed, the German army had already attacked outside Moscow. Although it suffered a lot of setbacks due to the severe cold, it was generally smooth; at this time, the United States was still nominally in the middle.

But at this moment, the Japanese suddenly attacked Pearl Harbor and dragged the United States into trouble. It would be strange if Hitler wasn't angry!

Li Junhao felt that the mustachioed head of state at this time should have realized that the Third Reich was heading towards failure! ——
On December 12, Li Junhao went to the White House to attend the National Security Conference chaired by Roosevelt himself. At the meeting, a series of resolutions on declaring war were passed, including domestic mobilization, vigorous military expansion, increased military production, research and development of new weapons, and protection of people's livelihood during wartime. , news promotion, etc.

Among a series of resolutions, Li Junhao mainly related to military and intelligence aspects. The most important resolution was proposed by him - in order to better coordinate and command the US military, a highest wartime command organization should be established. , to provide correct staff advice to President Roosevelt, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, so this organization should be called the "Joint Chiefs of Staff."

After careful consideration, President Roosevelt agreed to Li Junhao's suggestion and formally decided to establish the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the White House on the 12th as his command and staff organization. He appointed former military representative and military adviser Admiral William Leahy. The Chief of Staff to the President (commonly known as the White House Chief of Staff) is responsible for convening and presiding over the Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting.

The main participants of the Joint Chiefs of Staff include Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall, Chief of Naval Operations General Harold Stark, Army Deputy Chief of Staff and Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Henry Arnold; other relevant personnel will be invited when necessary. Personnel attend meetings, such as Li Junhao, who has been officially appointed as the Director of National Intelligence, is often invited to participate.

Li Junhao actually doesn't like meetings, especially meetings with a group of old men, but these big guys always want to listen to his intelligence analysis, which makes him quite helpless; but who asked him to play the role of "prophet" before? The situation was all caused by himself.
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At present, there is only one place where the US military and the Japanese army are fighting - the Philippines.

As for the equally dangerous Shanghai Concession, a strange confrontation situation was present at this time. Even the Japanese army did not block the entrances and exits of the concession. It was not that they did not want to, but that they could not, because Japan itself desperately needed the output of the factories in the concession. Since it was temporarily It cannot be seized by force, so the status quo can only be maintained. Even the import of grain, coal and industrial raw materials cannot be stopped.

It has to be said that the Japanese were quite tolerant in their desperation. Faced with the strong armament of the concession, they gave up their plans to attack with force. As before, although they were in opposition to the concession authorities, they refrained from having a direct conflict. This formed a strange situation in the history of war.From this aspect, the various measures taken by Li Junhao in the concession have worked. Although there is no guarantee of what will happen in the future, the current threat of war has been reduced.
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As for the Philippines, the current Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Force, Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright, had made defensive preparations early under the reminder of Li Junhao, successfully withstood the first wave of Japanese attacks, and even repelled two consecutive Japanese landings. action.

In fact, a lot of this is due to Li Junhao. After arriving in the United States, he used his influence to continuously lobby the president, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of the Navy. In the early stage, he added four independent armored regiments and a new formation to the Far East Army. The Marine Corps brigade is equipped with a large amount of heavy weapons and equipment; 100 of the latest F4F fighters and 45 B-17 bombers have been added to the Far East Army Fleet and Air Force...

Coupled with the expansion and training of 10 divisions of the Philippine Defense Forces by Lieutenant General Wainwright, the size of the Far East Force has doubled, with nearly 5 US troops, 25 Philippine Defense Forces, and the addition of two hundred 250-ton high-speed ships. The First Squadron of the Asian Fleet of torpedo boats defended the main island of the Philippines impregnably.

The Tanaka Detachment and the Sugano Detachment of the 14th Division under the 48th Army, the main force specially organized by the Japanese army to attack Southeast Asia, attempted to land in northern Luzon on December 12, but were repelled by the US Far East Force. They suffered heavy casualties, including 10 people. More than half of the establishment was wiped out;
On the 11th, 16 people from the Kimura detachment of the Japanese 2500th Division attempted to land in southern Luzon, but were also repelled, losing nearly half.

This time, the Japanese army felt uncomfortable.

In desperation, the Japanese army could only rely on the 14th Flying Group attached to the 5th Army to attack Luzon Island, but it suffered another defeat. The Far Eastern Force Air Force, which had greatly increased its strength, took the initiative to attack under the guidance of the new reconnaissance radar. In a short time, In just three days, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes were shot down, making them too frightened to initiate attacks.

On the night of the 15th, under the cover of darkness, the bomber group of the Far Eastern Force Air Force raided the Japanese naval support fleet anchored 50 nautical miles north of Luzon Island, sinking 14 large and small ships in one fell swoop, and severely damaging them...

The war situation in the Far East gave Washington a great surprise, and everyone praised Brigadier General Panson for arranging all this two years in advance...

Because of Li Junhao's many achievements immediately before and after the war, President Roosevelt signed an order to formally promote him to the rank of rear admiral. The Navy Department specially applied to award him the Navy Cross...

(End of this chapter)