Chapter 233: The first battle on the island

The disaster in Naha had just begun. On the night after the task force escaped, 350 B-29s came over Naha. They dropped two thousand tons of napalm bombs and the sea water boiled. The entire military port was completely destroyed.

If you want to recover, you have to rebuild. This sharp knife at the throat of the East China Sea was burned to the ground.

All this was just the beginning. On the second night, 300 B-29 bombers visited Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island. The fire burned for two days and two nights before it was extinguished. The airport was the focus of this bombing, and the rocks on the island were all destroyed.

The main force of the Second Fleet returned to Shanghai to rest for a while. Three days later, it headed out of the East China Sea again. This time it was not just a fleet, but two Marine Divisions.

The navy does not have many ground forces. There are only three marine divisions in total, and they are not willing to form an army. The marine division is the only ground force of the navy, and its equipment can be said to be armed to the teeth. One marine division has three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, and one self-propelled artillery.

Regiment, and what is outrageous is that there is also a tank regiment. The Navy always has a way to get new equipment from the General Logistics, such as the newly installed 40mm rifle grenade, which is currently only equipped by the Marine Corps in the National Defense Forces.

With the establishment of five regiments, plus the divisional automobile battalion, baggage camp, engineer battalion, communication company, and field hospital, a Marine Division has a large establishment of more than 23,000 people. This kind of organization is still being played by the Navy, but the Army is now new

The troops were organized in the three-three system. The old A-division organization would have been cancelled, if not for the war.

Off the coast of Miyako Island, the task force returned from the sneak attack in Naha. The strength of the entire fleet increased dramatically. Six aircraft carriers, seven large battleships, 90% of the Chinese Navy's assets were combined. At this time, the Japanese Combined Fleet

On the way back to Sasebo. Isoroku Yamamoto has no chance to fight. Even if there is a chance to fight, Yamamoto Isoroku may not have that intention.

7 large battleships plus 20 heavy cruisers used naval guns to bathe the palm-sized Miyagani Island with shells. The scene was breathtaking and spectacular. Various fighter planes were not lonely and flew very low, as long as there was a living target.

I rushed down to strafe and drop bombs. There were not many Japanese fighter planes on the two islands of Miyako and Ishigaki. They were tortured by the continuous bombings. Thirteen Zeros managed to fly up, but they were immediately beaten to the ground by more than a hundred Mustangs.

.The way of bullying people to the extreme.

The Marine Division soldiers who were preparing to land could not see clearly what the small island covered by artillery fire looked like. The entire island was surrounded by fire and disgust. Under such fierce artillery fire, the Japanese must all die? They will definitely fight later.

It's easy. Many soldiers think so.

Although there is no Naha naval port, it is difficult for the Japanese Navy to quickly support Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island. However, the Navy's aircraft carrier battle group still plays a very careful interception role. The destroyers are released and the radars on all sides detect whether there are any Japanese warships risking their lives to attack.

When the Marine Division began to land, the Japanese army launched some sporadic counterattacks. This may be because the battle was too sudden and the Japanese navy was not ready. There were only five or six thousand Japanese troops on the two islands. The landing process was very long.

It went well, and the small port carefully survived the artillery fire. After the Marine Division's commandos occupied the port, when the freighter approached, Japanese artillery fire came suddenly.

A brigade of Japanese artillery was hidden in Miyako County, using Meiji 38-style field artillery to launch a desperate attack on ships in the port. These artillerymen knew very well that once the target was exposed, death would be waiting for them.

Sure enough, while Pingliang Port was under shelling, the naval guns quickly locked onto the target and carried out violent suppression. The artillery fire caused a lot of casualties to the landing ships, and the Marines who were landing in an orderly manner had nowhere to go under the shelling. Shen Honglie, who was in charge of commanding the landing operations, was extremely unhappy. He picked up the microphone and shouted: "Haihang, throw napalm bombs into the city. The Japanese who die are the good guys."

In the original plan, there was no plan to throw napalm bombs into the city. After all, this thing is too cruel. The gentlemen of the Navy can't bear to use napalm bombs against civilians. Now it looks like the casualties are not small. Shen Hong Lie didn't care so much anymore and just let the carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier mount napalm bombs, regardless of whether civilians were civilians or not.

Fifty-five horizontal bombers finally have a place to be used. This kind of carrier-based aircraft equipped by the navy has no chance to appear in previous battles. The reason is that the effect of horizontal bombing is not good, and this type is called "Penguin" The bomber is a bit clumsy, slow, and has a bomb load of only two and a half tons. If it were not for the difficulty of taking off and landing on the aircraft carrier for the B-17 and B-29, this kind of special bomber would have been eliminated long ago, and now the Navy is With this kind of bomber, only the airborne division of the Army is still using it to tow gliders. Because the number of C-47s is insufficient, it is still a matter of interests. Orders for domestic transport aircraft are naturally given priority. This one is manufactured by Eurasia Group Wuhu Bombers (transport aircraft) manufactured at the airport will naturally take priority in military industry orders.

Napalm bombs set a small urban area on fire. The previous night bombings were aimed at military targets. Now the bombings do not care about the lives of civilians. The generals of the Wehrmacht only care about the lives of soldiers. .

The fire was set off in time. More than 3,000 Japanese troops were hiding in the city. More than half of them were injured or killed by the fire. When they ran out of the fire in a panic, what was waiting for them was the ruthless shooting of the Marine Division soldiers.

The landing on Ishigaki Island was carried out later. After fully learning from the experience of Miyagani Island, Ishigaki County was first lit on fire before the official landing. As a result, the casualties caused were much smaller. The landing operations on the two islands were It lasted three days, killing and wounding more than 5,800 Japanese troops and taking no more than 15 prisoners. Our troops suffered about 300 casualties, most of which were caused by that shelling.

For this reason, the Navy has set a new rule. Anyone who mentions civilian casualties is irresponsible to the soldiers. Japan launched a war and should pay the price for the war.

The Japanese combined fleet back in Tokyo was still licking its wounds, and could only watch helplessly as Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island were captured. The fall of these two islands meant that the connection between Japan and Nanyang could only be lost. The long route in the North Pacific. In fact, this route is now full of crises. The battle between the Chinese and American joint fleets is going on. Every day, Japanese merchant ships are sunk by heavy patrol artillery. Of course, there are only a few warships. , it is impossible to cut off the entire route, there will always be fish that slip through the net.

The defeat of the navy caused considerable turmoil in Japan's political arena! The power of the army began to rise. At this time, the Japanese navy and army still did not forget the internal fighting. They had to defeat their opponents first before they could fight according to their own will.

Konoe Fumimaro's cabinet was forced to step down. The army, which had not yet tasted its power, won a complete victory in the infighting. Army Minister Sugisugimoto came to power to form the cabinet. Nagata Tetsuzan, known as the representative of the rational faction, became the minister of war. Tojo

After all his efforts, he failed to make a leap, so he had no choice but to take over the post of Chief of General Staff.

What the new cabinet faces is still the problem of war, or the problem of defeating the Chinese Army on land. In this regard, the Army's previous plan to attack from North Korea now seems to be even more intense. The Army needs a victory to secure its position.

lower position.

However, this proposal to increase offensive intensity could not be passed smoothly within the army. Sugimoto held a cabinet meeting, at which the new Army Minister Nagata said on the spot that the army's attack could not be as overwhelming as that of the navy.

Emperor Hirohito asked him: The war has reached this point and the empire needs a victory to boost morale. Why do you object?

Nagata replied: "The empire's war resources are limited. The current resource reserves can only maintain the intensity of the current war for at most one year. And this war has just begun. The routes to Southeast Asia are now basically cut off, and resources are not available.

Is the supply empire only prepared to end the war in one year?"

"Your Excellency, as the Minister of War, don't you think that you are being cowardly?" Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yoneuchi naturally took a bite when he found an opportunity. Nagata Tetsuzan showed indifference in the face of such an attack: "Your Excellency, although the Navy does not admit it, the Navy is actually defeated.

Under the premise that the Nanyang route cannot be guaranteed, how can the empire's military production be maintained? How long do you think you can last just by obtaining resources from North Korea and the Far East? If I were you, I should take the blame and resign instead of sitting here and talking.

.”

"Isn't the Army claimed to be invincible? It can completely defeat the Chinese Army, occupy Manchuria, and seize China's resources." Mitsumasa Yoneuchi began to quibble, avoiding the topic that asked him to resign.

"Didn't the Navy once claim to be invincible? Your Excellency actually believes in the statement of boosting the morale of the people? As soldiers, we must calmly face the enemy's strength. After many mobilizations in the Sino-Soviet War, the scale of the Chinese Army has reached

Eight million, according to the Chinese establishment, is one hundred and sixty armies. The total strength of the Sino-Soviet front line is about five million, maybe a little less. So, may I ask, how many armies does the empire have now? After multiple mobilizations,

The total strength of the empire is one hundred and fifty divisions, including 17 A divisions in Nanyang, 38 B divisions, and 22 divisions in the Far East. Your Excellency thinks that all the remaining divisions should be piled up.

Can we win in Korea? Do we not want the mainland?" Nagata Tetsuzan and Yoneuchi Mitsumasa had a quarrel. It was a dispute between the army and the navy. Although both Sugimoto and Tojo could not agree with Nagata, they both kept their mouths shut. Now they want to

Consistent with the outside world.

"The empire can carry out a new round of mobilization!" Minai's mouth was still tough, and Nagata sneered: "Then please first ask the navy to stop the construction of the Musashi and give up the steel to the army, otherwise our infantry can only carry wooden sticks.

Fight the Chinese."

"Baga!" Minai jumped up and tried to draw his sword, while Nagata looked at him with a sneer without changing his expression.
Chapter completed!