Age of Rebirth

On June [-]th, the fifth day after the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Japanese army dispatched troops in the South Pacific to concentrate their forces to carry out surprise attacks in several main offensive directions such as Luzon Island, Mindanao Island, Kalimantan Island, Sumatra Island, and Java Island. , quickly grasped the air and sea control over the vast area of ​​the Southwest Pacific, and then implemented the army-navy coordinated operations, completed the scheduled combat plan, and gained the leading advantage in the early stage of the war.

As of June 400, the Japanese army had controlled more than 1 million square kilometers of land and a population of nearly [-] million people, starting from the Aleutian Islands in the north, Australia in the south, the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean in the west, and midway in the east. On the more than [-]-kilometer front of the island, it has launched a fierce competition with the United States, and has dealt devastating blows to the US military in multiple directions.

Under the ferocious attack of the Japanese army, the U.S. troops in various places retreated step by step. Unfortunately, MacArthur said the battle situation was right. The U.S. military could not organize an effective line of defense to prevent the Japanese army from advancing in depth. It was already impossible to retreat to several strategic points. It is a matter of recovery, but for the US military, sticking to strategic points is nothing more than lingering and dying.

If there are no corresponding rescue measures, it is only a matter of time before the US troops on the islands in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific are encircled and wiped out.

After receiving MacArthur's telegram, there was a great shock inside the top US officials. The US military and political officials all knew that the war was not good for the US, but they never thought that it would be so bad. The tens of thousands of U.S. troops were almost powerless to fight back against the Japanese attack. They retreated again and again, but with such a large strategic space, where could they retreat? [

General Jeffrey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, realized the seriousness of the problem, and ignored MacArthur's four-day delay before calling back to China.Reporting the situation on the battlefield, this serious fact, hurriedly drove to the White House President's Office.

President Franklin Roosevelt was in an extremely poor state of mind. When he saw General Jeffrey who came in a hurry.Unable to hide his haggard look, he asked worriedly: "Jeffrey, is the situation in the South Pacific battlefield really as bad as MacArthur said? Our American army was beaten back step by step by the Japanese. If I If my memory is not wrong, MacArthur has been operating in the South Pacific region for many years. Why is it so vulnerable?"

Admiral Jeffrey was right. There are many factors that determine the victory or defeat of a war. Judging from the situation in the Pacific battlefield before him, even as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he cannot give the president a correct answer. It is MacArthur who can , American soldiers are greedy for life and afraid of death, or the Japanese are fierce and crazy, there is no way to determine.If you have to give an answer, there can only be two, which can be brought to the table.

Admiral Jeffrey.After pondering for a while, looking at the sallow-faced Mr. President, he replied: "Mr. President, our Joint Chiefs of Staff analyzed the current situation of the war. There are two reasons. One is that the Japanese launched a surprise attack, and our troops prepared to Insufficient, in a hurry, it is impossible to stop the Japanese offensive. This is very normal!"

"The second point is also the most important. Our current strength on the Pacific battlefield, whether it is the strength of the army, air force or navy, is far weaker than that of the Japanese. The Japanese have planned for a long time. They have almost tried their best. As for us, we are not consciously prepared for the outbreak of war, so the current situation is not the fault of MacArthur alone, and our Joint Chiefs of Staff is also responsible!"

Jeffrey didn't have a special appreciation for MacArthur, and was willing to carry it for him in front of the president. As far as MacArthur's image in his heart was concerned, it was so bad to a certain extent.

Ever since I sat on the throne of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I have been having a headache about how to deal with the arrogant, arrogant, and rebellious MacArthur. Moreover, Admiral Jeffrey also knows that for the Joint Chiefs of Staff MacArthur always obeyed the order, and this was originally a good opportunity to pull that guy off the horse.

There are two reasons, one is the delay of the military plane, the inability to report the situation on the battlefield in time, so that the country cannot judge the battle situation in time, and it is impossible to make correct decisions; It can't explain anything, but it's just an excuse for that guy to cover up his ability.

These two and that one are enough for MacArthur to drink a pot. If the war situation is not so bad that it cannot be controlled, Admiral Jeffrey will never mind taking the opportunity to change generals and replace the commander of the US Southeast Asia and South Pacific headquarters. One's own confidant can also do it like an arm.

But in this mess now, no matter who succeeds MacArthur, he will do his best to bring it back to heaven, and there is no best candidate to replace him. Therefore, despite all the reluctance in his heart, Admiral Jeffrey still has no choice but to Not in front of His Excellency the President, speak good words for MacArthur, but play sloppy eyes.

However, President Roosevelt was obviously not satisfied with the answer given by Admiral Jeffrey. He frowned and asked: "It is true that our strength is weaker than the Japanese, but this should not be the cause of the current situation. The only reason for the situation, as I remember, was that MacArthur submitted a Tiger Shark action plan, the core of which was that the troops of the Chinese Tang Qiuli would launch an attack on the Japanese army in Singapore before the end of May."

"If the tiger shark operation plan is carried out on time, how is it possible for the Japanese to launch a surprise attack on us? Why did MacArthur not explain this in his call back? As the specific executor authorized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, there should be no explanation, Jay Feffer, you know that China and us are allies, and the Chinese Tang Qiuli did not attack the Japanese as planned, so there must be something wrong?"

Admiral Jeffrey, in his stomach, almost scolded MacArthur, who was so loud that one Buddha was born and two Buddhas ascended to heaven. Before, he sent a telegram about the tiger shark action plan to the Joint Chiefs of Staff with full confidence , as if everything is under his control, the Chinese Tang Qiuli and his troops are as obedient as cats, just like MacArthur's personal army, they can be dispatched at any time.

What was the result, the Japanese had already entered the house, what about Tang Qiuli's troops?What about his soldiers?But he could only hide these angers in his heart. He tried to answer the President's question from another angle, and diverted His Excellency President's attention from this difficult question.

Admiral Jeffrey replied: "Mr. President, you also know that a few months ago, the British provoked a war with the Chinese Tang Qiu in northern Myanmar on the Indochina Peninsula, and the battle line soon entered the South Asian subcontinent. In the area, most of Tang Qiuli's troops are on the Indian battlefield, fighting the British, and it will take time for his troops to withdraw from the battlefield!"

"Regarding this, General MacArthur has already explained to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the previous telegram. The Joint Chiefs of Staff believes that Tang Qiuli's troops will join the war against the Japanese sooner or later. It is only time. The problem, however, is that it has affected the progress of the tiger shark operation plan, and the sudden attack by the Japanese is something we did not expect, and it is also our greatest danger at present."

To be honest, Admiral Jeffrey’s explanation is a little hard to justify and far-fetched. President Roosevelt looked at his chief of staff with a face of embarrassment, answered his own question carefully, sighed, and was a little unhappy. He said: "Okay, Jeffrey, I don't want to blame that person, nor do I want to hold anyone accountable. The problem that needs to be solved now is about reinforcements for MacArthur. Let's study this problem in depth." !"

Admiral Jeffrey breathed a sigh of relief secretly. He knew that His Excellency the President was not satisfied with his answer. , after all, Mr. President, it is also a relief not to dwell on this question that is neither easy to answer nor let him go against his will.

As for the problem the president wants to solve, it is clear that the United States of America cannot lose its colonies in the South Pacific. Moreover, Admiral Jeffrey, with the vision of a strategist, has already seen the potential danger. Appetite is by no means limited to the current attack area. If possible, the leather boots of Japanese soldiers will step on the doorstep of the United States. [

Therefore, Admiral Jeffrey said succinctly: "Mr. President, on this point, the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is very clear. It is necessary to increase troops to various battlefields in the South Pacific and give MacArthur everything he needs. Otherwise, we will lose forever. That piece of fertile land, and, judging by the rapacious ambitions of the Japanese, they will never be satisfied with that piece of land."

"In the next step, no one can determine where the Japanese will attack. Therefore, we must curb the Japanese ambitions on the South Pacific battlefield. Otherwise, the development of the war situation will be even more unfavorable to us. We I don’t even want to see Japanese cannons fall on our land!”

In fact, there is no need for Admiral Jeffrey to go into details. Roosevelt, a veteran statesman, knows better than any American that after the Japanese occupy the islands in the South Pacific, they will not satisfy their own ambitions. Hawaii, then, went all the way eastward, seizing the islands in the Pacific Ocean, and used them as a springboard to approach the west coast of the United States. The flames of war will burn to the mainland of the United States.

During the First World War, the United States, which took advantage of the fisherman's interests, did not lose a single particle on its homeland. Now, it is going to fight the Japanese on its own land. Although this is the worst prediction, once it really happens, Is the president of the United States still not eaten by the people?

However, the most difficult thing for President Roosevelt is how to reinforce MacArthur now, and it is still a realistic problem that cannot be avoided.

(to be continued). . )