Among the tasks that Ouyang Yun personally took charge of after arriving in Karachi, the construction of the Karachi military airport was a top priority. In the first few years after the establishment of the Karachi naval base, in addition to fuel and food, other large quantities could be purchased from Pakistan and Iran.
Materials can only rely on long-distance supplies through the empty fortress in Guangzhou. The current financial resources of the Xuebing Army are actually not enough to support an ocean-going fleet in the Arabian Sea. Fortunately, the Xuebing Army's electronic products also include pharmaceutical products, automobiles, ordnance,
Agricultural machinery has already enjoyed a certain reputation in the world, so Ouyang Yun wants to build Karachi into a transfer center for selling military products to the east and support the Pacific Fleet through trade.
The reason why Ouyang Yun is so anxious about the construction of Karachi Airport is also related to Madam Chiang's visit to the United States. After the Dutch East Indochina and British Malaysia were occupied by the Japanese army, and Japan and the United States started war again, Madam Chiang's visit to the United States only left
We took a road that bypassed these areas, from India to the east, and then through South America to North America.
When Ouyang Yun was personally supervising the construction of the airport in Karachi, Guangzhou, the MacArthur family and Hatton were visiting the Guangzhou Second Aircraft Manufacturing Factory in the company of a major staff officer named Song Yusheng from the Cadet Army Headquarters.
Standing in front of a white-finned dolphin being spray-painted, MacArthur and Hatton couldn't help but sigh with emotion. First, in view of seeing the powerful force of the cadet army and their understanding of the country's national conditions, they initially thought it was because of Ouyang Yun.
The result of aggressive militarism - there is a big country in the far east. This country has just experienced warlord melee and fell into a Patriotic War. The economic situation is bad, people's livelihood is declining, and the degree of industrialization is extremely low... This is not the case between MacArthur and Hatton.
It is a personal arbitrary judgment, but the general recognition of all walks of life in the United States. When MacArthur and Hatton were still heading to the empty fortress in Guangzhou, they discussed related issues. At that time, they thought that what they would see in Guangzhou would be a chaos.
The situation is extremely poor and backward. Their pride is at work. They think that even if it is just to repay the Xuebingjun's life-saving grace, they must persuade Congress to provide financial aid to the Xuebingjun after returning to the country. The reality has completely overturned them.
In my mind's eye, Guangzhou's prosperity is not inferior to that of Washington. The cars running all over the streets don't seem to be Fords?!
The second emotion is the popularity and scale of the advanced armed forces of the Cadet Army. After seeing the strength of the Second Expeditionary Army, MacArthur and Hatton once thought that it was the Chinese who took out the most elite troops and weapons for the sake of face. However, after seeing the strength of the Second Expeditionary Army in Guangzhou
After learning about the equipment of the garrison, they learned that automatic rifles had become the standard weapon of the cadet army.
The third emotion is: when did the Chinese people start to independently develop and produce fighter aircraft? It has only been three or five years since the rise of the Xuebing Army. How come they already have such a large-scale military production line?
...With a lot of emotion, MacArthur's originally tilted balance could not help but return to a level state.
On the fifth day after Ouyang Yun arrived in Karachi, MacArthur held a "friendly" meeting with Ji Xing and Li Tieshu on behalf of the US government and military.
The first thing Americans considered was the life and death of the U.S. troops stationed in the Philippines. The Paranaque War lasted for a week, and after more than 5,000 casualties, the U.S.-Philippine coalition had to retreat to downtown Manila. The Japanese Sixth Marine Division was also beaten.
In addition to having just lost the division commander Hirono Akio, the Manila area has temporarily fallen into a new state of confrontation.
Mindanao. After the victory of the Second Expeditionary Army in Capatagan, they took advantage of the situation to advance towards the northwest peninsula and have now recovered Pagadian. The Americans have lost the confidence to continue the fight, so Washington began to seriously
Consider the issue of troop withdrawal, and hope that the cadet army can completely take over the war in the Philippines. It is best to rescue the more than 10,000 captured American soldiers.
The captured American and Filipino soldiers in the Battle of the Bohol Sea were treated differently. The Filipinos were directly coerced into the so-called National Independence Army, while the Americans were imprisoned in prisoner-of-war camps and began to be used as hard labor, becoming free for the Japanese.
"Engineer".
"We hope to withdraw the troops stationed in the Philippines to Australia first, and then form a coalition force there..." MacArthur stated the U.S. government's plan with a very modest attitude.
"It's not realistic," Li Tieshu judged unceremoniously. The Dutch East Indies, that is, Indonesia, has been fully occupied by the Japanese army, and the resistance of the British-Australian coalition forces in Papua New Guinea is very weak. It can be expected that once the Japanese army resolves
If the Philippines and Taiwan are defeated, then Papua New Guinea will be fully invaded, and troops may be used against Australia. In this case, even if the US troops stationed in the Philippines have a chance to withdraw, how will they go to Australia? You know, the US Pacific Fleet
After the entire army was destroyed, the United States, Britain and Australia no longer had the naval power to curb the Japanese activities in the North Pacific.
MacArthur himself knew that it was unrealistic. The US military stationed in the Philippines actually had a chance to withdraw to the Philippine Islands. However, as Hatton's mixed fleet encountered a disaster in the Bohol Sea, the only way out for the US military stationed in the Philippines was to resist on the spot.
The only thing left to do is to withdraw eastward into Taiwan Island. The decision given by Washington is to withdraw into Taiwan Island, then withdraw from Taiwan Island into Fujian, and then turn westward from Fujian into the British-controlled area. After arriving in the British-controlled area, it is necessary to stay in the British-controlled area.
Washington had not yet considered whether to cooperate with the British army in fighting or to go east to Australia or even return to China. The reason why MacArthur did not directly propose to withdraw to Taiwan Island was because Washington was worried about being blackmailed by the cadet army.
Having learned from the experience of the British Army in Singapore being transformed into a volunteer army, the Americans are worried that the US military in the Philippines will receive the same treatment, so they hope that the Xuebing Army will take the initiative to raise this issue, and then they will compensate the Xuebing Army in their own way.
In this way, the independence of the US military in the Philippines can at least be guaranteed.
On the other hand, Washington also wanted to take advantage of the contradiction between the Chongqing government and the Xuebing Army, and wanted to delay the issue until Mrs. Chiang arrived in Washington.
The Americans have thought too much, or they are not willing to see an ally in the Far East that is so powerful that they cannot control it.
"We need your army's help. Does General Lee have any good suggestions?" MacArthur said in a timely manner.
Li Tieshu and Ji Xing looked at each other and said: "If your country insists on withdrawing its troops from the Philippines, I suggest withdrawing to Taiwan first. However, our military's sea transportation capacity is limited, so you have to wait while we send the Second Expeditionary Army first.
Let’s talk about it after we withdraw.”
MacArthur's expression changed: "Do you want your army to abandon the Philippines?"
Ji Xing smiled: "General, it's not that we want to give up the Philippines, but that your country wants to give up the Philippines. Don't forget, in the Philippines, we are just guest troops."
When the Japanese Expeditionary Fleet already controlled the waters near the Philippines, the reason why the Americans dared to withdraw the US troops stationed in the Philippines was because the Second Expeditionary Army could divert the attention of the Japanese army. If the Second Expeditionary Army retreated first,
Then, the US military in the Philippines will have no choice but to surrender.
"Those guys in Washington only know how to talk on paper, are the Chinese so easy to fool?" MacArthur thought, and looked at Hatton and said: "Then we are wrong, we do not want to give up the Philippines -"
"Then why do we need to withdraw all the troops?" Ji Xing asked with a smile.
"Under the current circumstances, we feel that we should first help the British-Australian coalition defend Australia before launching a counterattack," Hatton said with difficulty.
"These words can only be deceived by a three-year-old child," Li Tie said, leaning back on the chair, picking up the teacup, blowing on it, and then taking a sip.
MacArthur and Hatton licked their lips, suddenly feeling thirsty. It seemed that Washington had given them an impossible task.