Shadow Spy

Chapter 432: Killing the enemy chief and preparing for a new battle

On April 4, the Commander of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, and his entourage took off from Rabaul in the Solomon Islands on two Mitsubishi Type 18 land attack fast transport aircraft, escorted by six Zero fighter jets, heading for Buenos Aires. While inspecting the front line of Ganville Island, they were ambushed by 18 P-38 fighter jets of the U.S. Naval Air Force equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks. The plane was shot down. Yamamoto Isoroku and his entourage were all killed on the spot.

When the news came out, the whole world was shocked. The U.S. Pacific Fleet immediately announced that it had killed Isoroku Yamamoto, but the Japanese military refused to acknowledge or respond.

It was not until May 5, when the battleship "Musashi" carrying Yamamoto's ashes returned to the mainland that Japan officially announced the news of his death and posthumously awarded Yamamoto the rank of Grand Commander, First Class, Third Class, and Marshal. ; On June 21, a state funeral was held for him in Hibiya Park, Tokyo.

Everyone in the U.S. military was delighted with this achievement. Li Junhao, who came up with this idea, won a Navy Cross for his foresight and decision, and the Navy Department even proposed to promote his naval rank.

However, after discussing with Admiral Leahy and National Security Advisor Ayers, Roosevelt decided to temporarily suppress it. The young man was promoted too quickly and was not conducive to his future development, so the Navy Department did not approve the latter application for the time being. For this reason, Ayers also sent a special telegram to Li Junhao to explain the reason.

Of course Li Junhao doesn't care about this. His current military rank is enough. He can wear uniforms in the army, navy, sea and land. And based on his current domestic status, the military rank is only supplementary and no longer represents his scope of power. So He was not in a hurry. The war would last for another two years and he would have plenty of opportunities to make meritorious deeds.
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In the following time, the war situation in the Pacific became slightly quiet. The US military only recaptured Attu Island in the Aleutian Islands in May and made no other major moves. Although the Japanese army carried out counterattacks on several islands, it was in vain.

In the Indo-Burmese theater, after June, the rainy season comes, and it is unrealistic to conduct a major battle. The Allied and Japanese forces are training and equipping their troops intensively, waiting for the arrival of the cool season!

Compared with the current Allied forces, which have sufficient armaments and supplies, the Japanese army's life is a bit miserable. Food and clothing can still be guaranteed, but heavy weapons and equipment are extremely scarce. Don't even think about tanks and even artillery. The quantity is not enough!

The quality of the soldiers is also uneven. The number of veterans in each division is less than one-fifth. There are other recruits. There are already young soldiers aged fifteen or sixteen and elderly soldiers over fifty years old. !

The newly formed 19th Air Force was also in short supply of fighter aircraft. The number of planned 750 aircraft was only 500 in place by the end of June. Among them, there were only more than 38 advanced Type Zero aircraft, and the others were such as the 40th Land Attack. Such old gadgets are not at the same level when faced with the US 24th and 25th Air Forces using P-10, P-14, B-[-], and B-[-], and air combat is impossible!

Under such circumstances, General Yamashita Fengwen, who had previously led the [-]th Army to conquer the Malay Peninsula and earned the nickname "Malay Tiger", had a head as big as a bucket and was really helpless!

During this period, what he did most was to ask the base camp for better sources of troops, more heavy weapons and equipment, and more and better aircraft... To this end, he and the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, Touichi Terauchi, There were several conflicts between the generals, but the problem still could not be solved.
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In early June, Li Junhao received the latest domestic intelligence from the CIA headquarters: From May 6 to 5, during a visit to Washington by British Prime Minister Churchill and the Chiefs of Staff of the three armed forces, he conducted a secret secret mission code-named "Trident" with President Roosevelt and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Military conference to determine the two countries' "comprehensive strategic thinking for conducting war." The meeting determined:

“[-]. Cooperate with the Soviet Union and other allies to promote the unconditional surrender of the European Axis countries as soon as possible.

“Second, cooperate with other Pacific countries to exert sustained pressure on Japan in order to weaken Japan’s military power to the point where it can force its final surrender.

"Third, after the failure of the European Axis powers, cooperate with the Soviet Union and use the power of Britain and the United States to promote Japan's unconditional surrender as soon as possible."

The specific war strategy is:

Defeat the threat of German submarine warfare and intensify the air offensive;

Instructed the commander of the Mediterranean Theater, Eisenhower, to prepare to attack the Italian mainland after occupying Sicily, so as to force Italy to withdraw from the war;

Concentrate manpower and material resources in the United Kingdom in order to land in France in the spring of 1944 and launch a decisive attack on Germany. May 5 of the following year is the date for the implementation of the "Overlord" plan;

Assist the Soviet Union and China, make China an effective combat base for the Allies against Japan, and prepare conditions for Africa and France to participate in the war against the Axis Powers;

The Pacific Theater will seize the Azores Islands to provide a new naval and air military base and launch a new offensive against the Japanese...

Li Junhao knew that during this meeting, the Allied counterattacks on various battlefields were about to begin! Therefore, he decided to speed up the process on his side and make a good start for the Allied counterattack - he wanted to make the first contribution!
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Starting on June 6, it was a rare three days without rain. Li Junhao watched an actual combat exercise of the 25th Division of the 121st Group Army composed of recruits from northern Shaanxi on the edge of the jungle northeast of Mandalay, and highly praised its performance!

Lieutenant General Peng Xuefeng, commander of the army, said that the other 213th Division and 214th Division are also at the same level, so he believes that the 121st Group Army has become an army and hopes to be able to undertake combat tasks. Beside him, 212th Division Commander Du Wenhua, 213th Division Commander Li Yunxiang, 214th Division Commander Ye Shanzhong and others are also looking forward to it.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Li Junhao nodded, and he also felt that it was time!
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On June 6, Mandalay held a theater military meeting and announced a new reorganization order:

121. The training of the [-]st Group Army composed of recruits from northern Shaanxi has been completed and it has joined the combat force sequence in the theater.

二、原109廓尔喀轻装步兵旅扩编成104师，辖第108、109、110三个旅。

108. The original 102th New England Battalion was expanded into the [-]nd Special Forces Regiment, which is still under the direct jurisdiction of the theater headquarters.

四、原105战斗群改编成105师，辖第105、111、112、113旅。

五、原106战斗群改编成106师，辖第106、114、115、116旅。

六、新编组第107师，下辖第117、118、119、120旅。

七、104、105、106、107师仍归属第101集团军。

In addition, the theater headquarters has direct jurisdiction: the 102nd Special Operations Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division.

Theater Air Forces: 10th and 14th Air Forces.

Theater Army units: 101st, 103rd, and 121st Group Armies.

Then, Chief of Staff Yang Shixiong began to lay out the battle plan for the third Burma Campaign...

(End of this chapter)