Hardcore ruthless starts in the Pacific

"..."

The Ma Runs saw that the division commander just stood there quietly without saying a word, as if he was inspecting his own troops, he stopped instinctively but didn't know what to do.

Looking at the old face of the teacher, Ivan reluctantly pushed Captain Haldane beside him.

"Now is the best opportunity, hurry up and show your face, and ask for something—!"

More materials, more technical arms, more brave soldiers, and even a logistics support company for K company.

As long as it can be provided, Yiwen believes that not to mention how good he can fight in Umurbrogol Mountain, at least he won't suffer any big losses.

Under repeated urging, Captain Haldane walked forward, first saluted Major General Ruperts, and waited for the other party to return the salute before speaking.

"Company K of the 5rd Battalion of the 3th Marine Regiment was ordered to return to the airport, and the chief inspected it—!"

43. Tell Sergeant Evan that he will be a Warrant Officer from tomorrow

"..."

Originally Major General Ruperts didn't want to say anything.

On the only way back to company K, I just want to see what makes this company that has achieved such a huge victory different from others.

Since the occupation of the airport on September 9, Major General Ruperts has heard heart-rending casualties every day, but there is nothing he can do about it.

When he was getting numb, he suddenly realized that this was not a good thing, so he tried every means to actively communicate with the generals in the headquarters.

"We should have retreated instead of continuing to hold out here."

"They came to this broken island to kill devils, not to die!"

"Go to the front line and see what those soldiers have become!"

No matter what Major General Ruperts said, he could not change the determination of the headquarters to carry out the battle to the end. He even said that the people above felt that this guy became more and more annoying.

——If we retreat now, the previous sacrifices will be wasted! ?

—We value the lives of our soldiers more than you do.

——You can yell and retreat, anyway, you are not the one who has to pay the price for sacrificing so many soldiers, right?

Major General Ruperts fondly missed the days of Guadalcanal.

Although the [-]st Marine Division was tortured by the harsh environment during that time, and lack of supplies was also a norm, but it was not like this battle. In addition to the deployment of the battle plan, it is more like a staff officer without a 'leader' who can only give opinions, but he just said a few correct judgments and was slapped with embarrassment.

As for Major General Ruperts, he was optimistic at the beginning and said that he could take Peleliu Island in 4 days... This is a very standard old American general. The battle of Guadalcanal was so difficult that he won it now. Isn't it easy to fight Peleliu Island, which has only [-] Japanese troops?

After being slapped wildly in the face by the male commander of Nakagawa Prefecture, he immediately put away his arrogance and continued to face up to the opponents of the US military here. After taking down the airport, he learned that the artillery in Umurbrogol Mountain can still smash the shells. When the follow-up company-scale attack was very unsatisfactory, a plan was proposed to abandon the island and stop losses in time.

Because the veterans who participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal and the Battle of Gloucester Point fell one after another, these were not ordinary soldiers, but the flesh and blood of the entire First Marine Division!

It's just that the determined command will not let it go. It is currently preparing to send all the 81st Infantry Division of the Army to Peleliu Island. If the 1st Marine Division is disabled, it will be replaced by the Army Infantry Division. Declare complete victory for the United States.

"K Company, stand at attention—!"

"Captain Haldane, your soldiers are very good." Major General Ruperts praised, "Every soldier I have seen has full spirit and high morale. I believe you have paid a lot for the victory. If you have any difficulties, please tell me."

"Aye aye, sir!"

Difficulties must be plentiful.

Very early on, Ivan thought that this kind of opportunity would appear. After all, he had contacted Major General Vandergrift, and knew that the most important thing these division-level generals would say to the bottom company was—if there is any difficulty, he must bring it up. .

I was afraid that Captain Haldane would not dare to ask boldly in front of the division commander, but he could lick his face and ask for this or that of any regiment commander.

It's just that Ivan was overwhelmed with this matter.

Captain Haldane babbled non-stop when he accompanied Major General Ruperts to inspect the troops. While introducing his company composition, he also introduced the officers who were mainly in charge of command. Every time he finished mentioning what happened yesterday, he would mention it. something missing.

"The tactics are different."

Listening to the specific explanation on yesterday's situation, Major General Ruperts said, "It's not that you didn't follow the command's plan to attack, but that you incorporated many other methods that fit the real situation on the battlefield on this basis. Something that the command cannot take care of...however, it is still very important."

"Yes, sir."

"The former enemy commander is very important." Major General Ruperts said, "But you said that the original Sergeant Inswood Iving was a medic?"

"Yes."

"It looks like this isn't just one person's dereliction of duty."

What the division commander said naturally meant that many officers below did not put Ivan in the most suitable position for him.

"We all lack the eyes to recognize a good officer." Major General Ruperts turned to look at Captain Haldane. "Tell Sergeant Ivan that he will be a Warrant Officer of the Marine Corps from tomorrow."

"Then I will thank you on behalf of my subordinates."

"No, he deserves it, and...you don't give any credit to yourself?"

Staring at Captain Haldane, Major General Ruperts said slowly, "If you want to implement this strategy, it is also crucial to have the commander in the rear coordinating with various departments to deliver supplies. Since Warrant Officer Ivan is the former enemy commander, Then you must be the logistics commander."

"Well, but..."

The cannon king wanted to say that compared with the brothers who had beaten them to death, it was nothing to put in some mental work, but he was immediately seen through by Major General Ruperts.

"Don't deny your own credit. Many times we don't pay enough attention to the honor of the logistics personnel, thinking that this is what they should do. A commander like you who has perfectly demonstrated a decisive role should receive a medal."

Major General Ruperts patted the Cannon King on the shoulder and said, "I have other things to do, but I will not forget the supplies you requested - I will do my best to satisfy you and your brothers."

"Aye aye, sir!"

Yiwen's goal was not only achieved but also promoted.

From a sergeant to a warrant officer, he directly crossed the Marine Corps Sergeant Sergeant, the Marine Corps Sergeant Major, the Marine Corps Sergeant Major, and the Marine Corps Sergeant Major, and arrived at the Marine Corps Warrant Officer.

Although the real officers in the US military system have to start as second lieutenants, every warrant officer can be promoted to lieutenant officer, relying on seniority in peacetime and military merit in wartime.

Before the Pearl Harbor incident, there were very few generals in Ma Run’s interior. There were a few generals and brigadier generals, but now there are a lot of generals and lieutenant generals. I have to say that even with a relatively strict promotion mechanism, the battlefield will always be the place where military ranks can be promoted the fastest. place.

The happiest thing is not that Ivan can get a lot of salary every month when he is promoted, but that Major General Ruperts immediately handles what K company lacks after leaving.

First of all, Company K got a 2-day rest period, while the other companies of the 5th Marine Regiment had to completely take over the positions of the 1st Marine Regiment before 1 pm.

Before October 10, the division headquarters will provide Ma Run of Company K with a hot bath and a brand-new combat uniform. At the same time, he will provide hot food as a naval officer, and even 3 grams of ice cream per person per day.

Throughout the entire World War II period, only the US military could enjoy ice cream, which was listed as a very necessary military supply item just like the black tea of ​​the British army.

What it can bring is not just as simple as boosting morale. It is often given to soldiers who have meritorious service in combat like today, and then spread to arouse the envy and jealousy of brother troops. There is no need to doubt how desperate soldiers are to eat a bite of ice cream.

For this reason, throughout the history of World War II, there were many jokes within the US military because of this stuff.

44. Crack the plan of the Japanese army

Marine Corps pilots often drive the F4U pirates with excellent performance to make ice cream in their spare time. As for when it started... As far as Ivan knows, Ma Run pilots before Peleliu Island did not do this kind of thing On September 9, the F26U pirate fighter jets of Ma Run's VMF-114 squadron entered the airport. On the second day, a clever man rushed to the altitude of 4 meters to make a bucket of ice cream and returned Later, he was reprimanded by the chief without pain.

In fact, this kind of thing was not initiated by Ma Run. Earlier, the pilots in the Army Air Corps had a big brain hole and took their comrades to fly a large bomber to the sky for training.

According to the current relatively stable prices in the United States, the aviation gasoline burned by the pilots is enough to buy an unknown number of barrels of ice cream, but because the dessert is more comforting and morale-boosting than chocolate, the officers actively choose to turn a blind eye One eye, and then both eyes are closed, only to remember that the ice cream melted in the mouth has a sweet and delicious taste.

The naval aircraft carrier carrying the ice cream making machine even used it to offer a reward to the pilot - salvage one pilot and send it back safely to give 1 gallons of ice cream, and there is no cap on it.

1 gallon is equal to about 3.8 liters, and 50 gallons is equal to about 190 liters. Although this is a rather terrifying amount, a Fletcher-class destroyer has more than [-] people at every turn, and there is not much to divide evenly.

So, here comes the question, how do destroyers get more ice cream?

It's very simple, salvage pilots with excellent records, if you are lucky enough to meet ace pilots... then you can send a Morse code to discuss the price.

Right, Lieutenant Colonel William Richard Kane, the ace pilot of the [-]th Battle Squadron of the Enterprise, every pilot can convert the amount of ice cream, so dear Lieutenant Colonel Kane, how many gallons do you think you are worth?

The ace pilot who overturned in the Mariana naval battle was finally sold for 95 gallons of ice cream, and the destroyer Patterson who participated in the Savo Island naval battle in the Guadalcanal island battle successfully salvaged him.

When Ivan was on Pavovo Island, he heard that after the end of the Mariana naval battle, the naval aircraft carrier pilots often complained about this: "When I was salvaged by the sailors of the destroyers, I always felt that they looked at me like A long-lost brother."

It can be seen how important ice cream is to American soldiers, but... here is a but-Ma Run is not worthy of eating!

Until the Battle of Okinawa Island, ice cream was only provided to middle and senior officers in Ma Run’s interior, that is to say, the lowest battalion commander was eligible to eat it. The company commander and the big soldiers were grateful for a hot meal. Shouting 'Sir is my father'.

Before being deployed to Five Sisters Mountain, everyone in Company K received 100 grams of ice cream per day, which is about the amount of a cone. Yiwen felt a little resentful - button, it's too sloppy!

Of course, after he took a bite of ice cream into his mouth, the resentment almost disappeared.

It's really...a worldly delicacy that makes people feel physically and mentally happy.

While relieving mental fatigue, it also made people feel that their physical fitness had recovered quite a lot. In the afternoon, Ivan, who was about to rest, began to walk around to inquire about specific information about the Five Sisters Mountain.

After all, the 1st Marine Regiment has been withdrawn, and a lot of useful information can be collected through simple inquiries.

The first thing that can be confirmed is that the Japanese army has repeatedly launched counterattacks against Blood Nose Ridge and the flanking Highland No. 9 from September 28 to now with a small amount of artillery support.

Secondly, the counter-offensive tactic is not a group charge as in the past, but a few teams with fewer troops, usually about 5 to 8 people in size, and often appear suddenly in areas that have been cleared, giving the Marine Corps a regiment The defense brought great pressure.

It can be seen that the tunnel system built by the Japanese army in Umurbrogol Mountain is complex and effective.

Nakagawa Prefecture's male commander's aggressive tactics are quite powerful, and it can even be said that he completed his transformation and evolution in this battle, because the goal of the counterattack team is not to regain the surface position, but the main goal set from the very beginning—even though May cause more damage to the US military.

According to what Ma Run of the 1st Marine Regiment said, none of the Japanese troops were permanently stationed in the surface positions of the three mountains in front of the Bloody Nose Ridge. Because the U.S. military dropped shells on them from time to time, they all turned into underground tunnels.

The key issue was that the U.S. military could not completely occupy the Five Sisters Mountains on the one hand, and on the other hand, it could not allow the Japanese troops to operate in the surface positions. If manpower was not enough, they could only rely on artillery shells and air strikes, as well as firing a shuttle of bullets every once in a while.

In order to reduce the casualties of the locust army, there are no more than ten beasts who actually drilled out of the ground to launch a counterattack. They often stay at a position about 300 meters away from the US military positions. On average, each rifleman fires 2 to 3 bullets to attract the attention of the defenders. force.

When Ma Run's attention was on the frontal enemy, the Japanese troops who quickly maneuvered from the ground quietly appeared on Ma Run's flanks. Quite a few sharpshooters among them could almost hit every shot. The key is this To help animals not be greedy, kill or injure a few Ma Run and disappear immediately.

The angry horses are itchy but there is nothing they can do - many bunkers are integrated with naturally formed coral stones and volcanic rocks. When you find bullets coming from the flanks, the animals have already evacuated and will not stay too long for killing. time, trying to clean up the bunker, but couldn't find where it was hidden.

Yiwen felt that it wasn't just as simple as a bunker, but there must be a tunnel entrance and exit that Ma Run hadn't searched carefully, otherwise the Japanese army wouldn't be able to find where the animals went after two shots.

If this is the case, it is also possible to find out where the bunker/tunnel is by arranging more guard posts on the flanks. The problem is that the Japanese army's most ruthless trick has just begun.

The two Japanese squads that appeared in front of the U.S. positions not only successfully completed the firepower attraction for the underground mobile detour squad, but also provided an excellent opportunity for snipers ambushing in many corners.

When the 1st Marine Regiment used artillery to bombard the exposed Japanese squad, the Japanese snipers who lay in ambush from night to day and waited for the arrival of counterattack troops began to show their prowess. During the short period of time, the little devil's sniper killed more than 30 Ma Run before he was 'discovered'.

It is not to find the hiding place of the sniper, but to know that when the little devil counterattacks, there must be a sniper lying on his stomach. From then on, every time there is a feint attack team of the little devil, the commander of the Marine Company will ask the 11th Marine Regiment to face the possible enemy. Intensive artillery bombardment was carried out in areas where snipers were prone.

In the first two days, the effect was outstanding, and the U.S. troops stationed in the position did not suffer any casualties, but the situation changed again on the third day.

This time the tactics of the Japanese army changed again. Although the same two teams quickly hid in the tunnel after attracting a wave of firepower from the front, the Japanese army conducting underground maneuvers was no longer ordinary infantry but artillery observers.

"I heard about your situation in the north, and I also think it was an inspiring victory, but what you are facing is different, completely different—"

"What about the caliber of the artillery?" Ivan asked while writing it down.

"Mortars are the mainstay, grenadiers are the supplementary, they are too accurate... If it is not lucky to catch a wounded prisoner, we don't know how the shells hit the head before we withdraw .”

"Thank you, rest well."

Through simple thinking and calculations, Ivan feels that the Japanese army will not launch any counterattacks from today onwards. A few days ago, they just seized the opportunity to focus the energy of the US military on the north. morale.

In fact...if it weren't for the rapid defeat of the Japanese army in the north, it would take half a month for the Japanese army to make the morale of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 7th Marine Regiment fall to the bottom.

"The number of shells should be very small, and the bullets must have not bottomed out. It must be saving money to shoot two shots and run away." '

'I have to stand... no, I am the commander of the Japanese army stationed on Peleliu Island - now that the US military has taken the north, cut off our army from the main island of Palau, and completed the southeast The encirclement in the four directions of the northwest is undoubtedly a strategic defeat, so how can I cause more casualties to the US military with the least casualties? '

Facing the Umurbrogol Mountain, where the battle will only be more tragic than the phenomenon, Yiwen has to think of himself as a psychopath, the male commander of Nakagawa Prefecture, to think, imagine, and judge... What should he do in the absence of shells? What kind of tactics can be used to complete the initial strategic goal.

The answer didn't emerge quickly. Ivan thought for a long time, and through more intelligence collection and conversations with gun kings and bumpkins, he gradually found the answer that was very likely to be correct.

The surface position of Wumeishan Mountain must be completely abandoned. The remaining troops are mainly defending the tunnel and are not allowed to launch a counterattack in a short period of time. There is no order to allow anyone to go out of the tunnel.

As long as the tunnels of the Five Sisters Mountain are still within the control range, this area will not be considered lost, and it will make the US military very uncomfortable.

You thought that all the Japanese troops evacuated from the Five Sisters Mountain, and then when they were advancing deep into the Umurbrogol Mountain, they suddenly ran out and killed you by surprise, and they might have to be surrounded by some Ma Run.

Judging from the situation on the battlefield, the Japanese army huddled on Mount U was surrounded by the U.S. Army on all sides, but when the U.S. Army stayed at Wusister Mountain and cleaned it meter by meter, wouldn’t it be surrounded on three sides?

How many caves?How many bunkers?How many bunkers?How much time it will take to clean it up, Nakagawa Prefecture Male Colonel must have an estimate in his heart.

It depends on how the U.S. military will act, choose to stop at the Five Sisters Mountain to clean up a little bit, or ignore it and push inside.

Both would allow Japanese commanders to deploy new operational concepts.

The more Ivan thought about it, the more creepy he felt. It wasn't because of the Japanese army's plan, but another thing that was quite likely to happen.

45. We are brothers

Five Sisters Mountain is a trap for K Company, a huge trap! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The Japanese commander who was blocked would not necessarily know the reason why the defenders of Amiangal Mountain in the north were defeated so quickly, but he would definitely think about it desperately-that place is not a key defense area, but it has also created an impressive The proud defense system was taken down by the US military in just one day, which shows that its tactics have changed a lot.