As a traditional naval power, the Americans are well-positioned to show enough self-confidence in front of the new recruits in the maritime field. Ships can be bought with money, but experience can only be gained from actual combat. This is Roosevelt, a layman in the maritime industry. He also understood this truth, so when Admiral Jin proposed to him the establishment of the Pacific Maritime Joint Command, he was so sure that the Xuebing Army would not refuse.
However, the facts seem to have caused a minor embarrassment to the Americans. Command rights were distributed according to the strength of the troops. As a joke, the U.S. Navy was allowed to accept the command of the cadet army. Can a sheep become the leader of a group of lions? When Hull left Gu Lian Yun got this reply, and after Roosevelt listened to his report, the old American man was furious. He immediately asked Hull to find Gu Lianyun, and then asked her directly: "Miss Gu, Commander-in-Chief Ouyang wants to rely solely on military training. Do you want a force to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific? I know that your army is very capable in land combat, but the navy and the army are two different things. Does he think that an infant can challenge an adult?"
"Mr. President, I don't know exactly what the Commander-in-Chief thinks, but as the representative of the Military Academy in the United States, I can only follow his decision." Gu Lianyun is familiar with all aspects of the United States. When he received Ouyang Yun's call back, he Realizing that the Americans would definitely be angered and even affect the performance of the previously signed alliance agreement, but as she said, since Ouyang Yun had already made a decision, she really had no other choice but to comply with it.
Roosevelt called Gu Lianyun over, actually to test whether there was room for easing the matter. After hearing this answer, he knew that Ouyang Yun must be determined not to obey the command of the US military. He was still angry and couldn't help but face He said expressionlessly: "The blockade of the Malacca Strait will not last long. The Japanese will enter the Indian Ocean sooner or later, so we will wait and see how your Pacific Fleet defeats the Combined Fleet."
"Mr. President, I'm sorry." Gu Lianyun said politely,
Roosevelt sighed softly, waved and asked McIntyre to send Gu Lianyun out.
Not long after Gu Lianyun left, General Jin rushed to Roosevelt's office after receiving the news. As soon as he entered, he shouted: "Mr. President, I heard that the Chinese rejected our proposal."
"That's equivalent. They asked us to allocate command power according to the ratio of troops." Roosevelt said with a wry smile: "Commander-in-Chief, are you willing to accept the command of the cadet army?"
"The Chinese will regret it. Could they be the opponents of the Japanese? It's ridiculous. The navy is not the army. It is enough that the soldiers are not afraid of death. Mr. President, since the Chinese will not cooperate, then let the British Just drive them out of Karachi, huh, these Chinese people don’t know the heights of the world, I really want to know what their expressions will be like when they encounter the combined fleet."
"Jin, there is something I want to tell you. The name of the Xuebing Army's fleet is also called Pacific."
"Ah, there is such a thing, go to hell, a group of bumpkins who only know how to play sampan in the river dare to take such a title. Do they think that the earth cannot rotate without them?"
Roosevelt mused: "This matter is not without hope. Sooner or later, the Strait of Malacca will be opened by the Japanese. By then, when the Chinese have tasted the power, they will know they regret it."
General Jin sneered and nodded: "I believe this day will come soon. Originally, I did not agree with Marshall's proposal. Compared with the Xuebing Army, the Central Army in Chongqing, China is too greedy, but now It seems that maybe it is more in our interests to help Chongqing and let them gain control. We do need a strong ally in the Far East, but the premise is that he must be an obedient younger brother. Mr. President, I heard that Mrs. Chiang will soon be When I visit the United States, please allow me to attend the negotiation meeting."
"Can."
In Southeast Asia, as Brereton's reconnaissance plane detected Masafumi Soma's Hosho aircraft carrier fleet in the northwest of the Sulu Sea, the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in the Philippines to Australia was immediately put on MacArthur's action agenda.
And just when MacArthur made the painful decision to abandon the strong fortifications around Manila and prepare to evacuate all troops to Australia, Capatagan, the largest battle since the Japanese expeditionary fleet attacked the Philippines, began.
On an unnamed highland outside an unknown small village five kilometers northwest of Kapatagan, a platoon of student soldiers was guarding here. When the rumble of fighter jet engines came from the northwest sky, platoon leader Xue Debing listened intently. Immediately made a report to the rear. Five minutes later, news of the large-scale enemy plane attack reached the joint headquarters of the 5th Expeditionary Division and the 6th Expeditionary Division.
As early as when Huang Haifu first garrisoned Kapatagan, he built a defensive position with a width of about five kilometers on the main road from the northwest of Kapatagan to the northwest peninsula. After the agreement was signed, he and Valleif made great efforts to organize troops to build anti-artillery fortifications and air defense facilities. Now, their joint command headquarters is located in a cave, and an expedition is arranged due north of them. The Second Army's sharpest anti-aircraft armed special artillery regiment,
"Retaliatory air strikes, the Japs are still preparing to advance south." Huang Haifu said to Waleff,
"I thought the nature of revenge was more serious," Walive said.
"Then ignore them, issue an air defense warning, and ask everyone to enter the air defense facilities immediately."
There were only ten incoming enemy planes in this batch, and two of them were fighter jets. They went straight to the city of Kapatagan. The shrill air defense sirens sounded in the city of Kapatagan, and the local Filipinos immediately fell into a huge panic. ,
At this time, the few local Chinese played a very good role in guiding people. Under their guidance, the Filipinos began to rush to various air-raid shelters. When the Japanese planes flew over the city, there was no one on the streets.
This wave of air strikes was personally directed by Yamabekawa Sankey. In order to find out the situation of the defenders' positions, Koizumi called him back from the battlefield where he annihilated the Matsuoka brigade and ordered him to go to the front line to conduct reconnaissance in person. Yamabe also did his part. He immediately took off with the remaining fighters on the "Ryuxiang" aircraft carrier, and then flew straight over.
Under Yamabe's personal command, although this wave of incoming enemy planes only had ten, it caused great damage to the urban area of Kapatagan. After Koizumi gave the Filipinos a sweet date, he deliberately gave another one Wei, Yamabe and the others specifically dropped bombs on areas with densely populated residential areas, quickly turning the entire Kapatagan into a sea of flames.
This round of air strikes passed, and the defenders' positions were unscathed. Huang Haifu and Valleif were even more certain that this was a retaliatory air strike, an action taken by the Japs because Sasebo and Nagasaki were air raided by the cadet army. However, as A second wave of twenty fighter planes flew over the defensive position and began dropping bombs. After a few words of discussion, they became excited.
After the 14th Brigade detoured through the Japanese defense stronghold in Naga, it had already contacted the joint command. Huang Haifu and Walaifu were struggling with how to rescue them. Now if the Japanese army takes the initiative to attack, they will It is equivalent to creating opportunities for them,