Age of Rebirth

President Roosevelt, with a sallow complexion like a dead man and sweating profusely, frightened Admiral Jeffrey, although he knew that since the US Army and Navy suffered a series of disastrous defeats in the Eastern Pacific, the spirit of the President has not It's okay, but it's not as scary as it is now, it seems that I may go to see God at any time!

Admiral Jeffrey looked at the president worriedly, and said with concern: "Your Excellency, your body is not feeling well again. I suggest that you call a doctor right away, or simply go to the hospital. During this troubled time, your There can be no problems with the body!"

Roosevelt waved his hands weakly, forced a smile, and said, "My own body is clear to me, and there is nothing serious about it. Jeffrey, I asked you to come here today to hear your opinion on Tang Qiuli's troops capturing Hong Kong." , don’t have any taboos, just treat it as we discuss it!”

After speaking, Roosevelt pressed the electric bell on the table, and a secretary came in with some pills. After Roosevelt swallowed the pills, a few minutes later, his face turned red.

Jeffrey swallowed and said, "Your Excellency, according to my personal analysis, this is a signal Tang Qiuli sent to us, or in other words, a gesture. He used this method to tell us that he is willing to Fulfilling the obligations of the Allied Forces, I personally think that we should seize this opportunity and ask Tang Qiuli for help. Only when the Chinese army joins the Southwest Pacific battlefield, MacArthur's troops can have the opportunity to reverse the situation on Luzon Island!" [

Jeffrey paused. Seeing that Roosevelt had no expression, he went on to explain: "Tang Qiuli's troops will share more than three-quarters of our pressure after joining the Southwest Pacific battlefield. Mr. President, in all fairness, I have MacArthur's plan to defend Manila was full of worries, hundreds of thousands of troops cut off the logistics supply line with the mainland, and relying solely on Australia was unable to support the long-term defense of Manila."

"The troops have been depleted for a long time. Without domestic reinforcements, they can only use the Anglo-Australian troops in Australia. However, the hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops that ended the battles of Kalimantan, Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi were in the original It is worth worrying about the intention of the ground to stand still. Whether the huge Japanese army is rushing to the battlefield of Luzon Island or trying to attack Australia, it will be a disaster for us!"

"Therefore, Mr. President, I personally suggest that we abandon the plan to defend Manila. All MacArthur's troops on Luzon Island will be withdrawn to Australia. Holding Australia will also serve as our future counterattack. The bridgehead and base in the Southwest Pacific region, and I received a report from MacArthur that the Japanese army on Luzon Island has been mobilizing frequently in recent days, and he judged that it was a large-scale offensive by the Japanese army against him!"

President Roosevelt just listened quietly to Admiral Jeffrey's tirade without interjecting a word. However, when he said that the Japanese army had an attempt to attack Australia, there was an imperceptible expression of pain on his face.

President Roosevelt knew in his heart that what Jeffrey said was correct and in line with the current situation in the Southwest Pacific battlefield. However, he did not see that the serious consequences of asking Tang Qiuli for help were different from drinking poison to quench thirst. The biggest difference from a politician, however, he is not going to say these words to Jeffrey, as a shrewd politician, sometimes, even to the person he trusts most, it is impossible to open his whole heart .

After Jeffrey finished speaking, President Roosevelt did not speak for a long time. He seemed to be digesting his words. It gave Admiral Jeffrey the feeling that Mr. President seemed to have something hard to say. The two giants in the United States were silent. Everyone was thinking about their own concerns, and the atmosphere in the office became a little dull and depressing.

After a long time, President Roosevelt said: "Jeffrey, unless it is absolutely necessary, we cannot ask the Chinese for help, because that Tang Qiuli is more dangerous than the Japanese. I have reached a consensus with British Prime Minister Churchill. , All British military forces in Australia were placed under the command of MacArthur, and the headquarters of the Southwest Pacific Theater was established, with MacArthur as the commander, unified command of the US, British and Australian troops."

"Even MacArthur's troops are in danger of being wiped out. The defense of Manila must be carried out according to the original plan. If necessary, Australian troops can be transferred to join the Luzon battlefield. Jeffrey, we need time, you imagine For a moment, if MacArthur's troops retreated to Australia and occupied the entire southwestern Pacific region with more than one million Japanese soldiers freed up, where would the next target be?"

Without waiting for Jeffrey to answer, Roosevelt gave the answer himself, "Two goals, one is to attack Australia, and the other is to attack the continental United States. All areas in the Southwest Pacific, and even the lives of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, can be lost." , However, we must not let the flames of war burn to the mainland, Jeffrey, a series of disastrous defeats in the Eastern Pacific Ocean have reduced the morale of the people to the lowest point!"

"Can the American people who have not experienced the baptism of war at home and have low morale show the courage to fight to the death to prevent the Japanese from leaving the country? Jeffrey, you and I can't guarantee that we can't take the United States. What we need most now is time to accumulate military strength and restore the morale of the people, and the Manila Defense War can hold back more than 100 million Japanese soldiers from advancing eastward, this is its significance!"

"So, I know that the battle of Manila is a gamble with almost no chance of winning, and I have to do this. The time to ask for help from the Chinese Tang Qiuli can only be when MacArthur has no ability to resist the Japanese army at all. Without making preparations for the counterattack, or in other words, without accumulating enough strength to repel the Japanese attacking the mainland, Jeffrey, I hope you can understand my painstaking efforts and intentions!"

When he said these words, President Roosevelt's expression was very painful and naive. The United States has huge national power, but because it is in a corner and relies on the natural barrier between the two oceans, it always thinks that the flames of war will not burn on its own head, and has not established Sufficient armaments and reserve forces, so that the Japanese were caught off guard.

But President Roosevelt believes that as long as he is given two years, the United States will have enough ability to regain its supremacy in the Pacific Ocean. Asking the Chinese Tang Qiuli for help is drinking poison, and it is also the last resort of last resort, because the United States Tang Qiuli's troops were needed to contain more than 100 million Japanese troops in the Southwest Pacific region when MacArthur lost everything, and buy enough time for the country!

Admiral Jeffrey understood President Roosevelt's inner thoughts. He dragged his crippled body for His Excellency, and for the future and destiny of the United States, he worked hard and worked hard, and felt very sad. There is also a tearing pain. Why is this happening? Why did the powerful United States fall to where it is today? Who caused all this?

Of course, Admiral Jeffrey couldn't find an answer, and even President Roosevelt couldn't give a satisfactory answer. Maybe, God no longer favors the Americans who made war fortune, let them taste it, The pain of the flames of war burning on his own head.

Interestingly, Emperor Hirohito of Japan has no plans to attack the United States within a few years at all. To be precise, it should be courage. Instead, the Americans themselves were so frightened that they felt like they were in danger. Believe it, If Emperor Hirohito and President Roosevelt sat together and held a ceremony for the handover of the Southwest Pacific region in a calm manner, the Americans from top to bottom would probably be greatly relieved, right?

If possible, the Americans would definitely use all the interests in the Southwest Pacific region to satisfy the appetite of the Japanese. However, none of this happened, and it will not happen, because Tang Qiuli and the Independent Division are close There are millions of soldiers, and history is often in the hands of those with foresight!

At midnight on August [-]th, Tang Qiuli received a secret telegram from Qi Hanzhi, "Master, all the members of our special warfare detachment have successfully infiltrated into Singapore, and with the assistance of agents from the Intelligence Department's Singapore station, we have contacted Mr. Huang Lao." , Under the arrangement of Mr. Huang Lao, each detachment has initially grasped the basic situation of the area that the Japanese army plans to destroy, and is formulating a corresponding combat plan, which will be reported to the division headquarters later."

Tang Qiuli's mood became more relaxed. The smooth infiltration of the special warfare detachment and the smooth progress gave him a reassurance. As long as Singapore was kept from being destroyed by the Japanese army, more than half of the goal of the campaign had been achieved. With tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers, they can fight whatever they want! [

Immediately, Tang Qiuli issued an order for the participating troops to march in covertly. The first brigade of Liu Hongzhang, the fourth brigade of Chu Ziye, and the second brigade of Liao Zhenbang of the Sulu mobile corps, with a total strength of more than 300 troops. A brigade of armored troops, more than [-] tanks, gathered at the front line of Kuala Lumpur overnight.

In order not to disturb the Japanese Hengshan Brigade in Singapore and achieve the suddenness of the start of the battle, according to the order of the division headquarters, all participating troops marched at night and rested during the day. During the day, the Malay Peninsula, as always, the Andaman Sea and Thailand The deep blue waves of the Bay caress the long and narrow peninsula affectionately, and everything is very quiet.

At night, it turned out to be a scene, counting the trucks with lights off, artillery vehicles, logistics convoys, and tank columns, like a rolling torrent in the dark night, advancing towards Singapore!

On the afternoon of August [-]th, Tang Qiuli led the Singapore Campaign Command and entered Kuala Lumpur ahead of the troops. Behind him were tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks. approaching prey.

(To be continued)