The battle report of the air force's successful surprise attack on the Philippines was promptly transmitted back to the Longtan base camp by radar airship.
In the conference room, Huang Xun handed the latest battle report into An Yi's hands, and the big stone in An Yi's heart finally fell to the ground.
A burst of tiredness hit his heart. An Yi stood up, stretched his waist, and said to Yang Fei, Liu Qing, Shen Ziling and other brothers who were also relaxed: "When the dust has settled, let's go back and rest! The rest will be done as per
Just implement the plan and there will be no problems!”
Later, An Yi said to Huang Chen again: "Old Huang, your air force must continue to pay attention to the frontline battles and beware of the counterattack of the Japanese army and navy aviation! Although the Japanese fighter planes on Luzon Island have basically been destroyed, the Japanese navy's ships
Carrier aircraft and Army fighters taking off from southern Taiwan can still threaten the safety of our transport aircraft! We must not make the mistakes made by the Americans and *** again!"
Huang Xun smiled and said: "Don't worry, our radar airship monitors the airspace of Luzon Island and surrounding areas at all times. Since the radar is at an altitude of more than 20,000 meters, it can easily monitor the entire area of Luzon Island. Every move of the enemy
Everything is under the control of our military. If something goes wrong in this situation, the chairman will not be held accountable, I will resign myself!"
An Yi nodded: "Okay, I'm relieved! It is estimated that the navy has arrived in the South China Sea west of Luzon Island at this time to intercept the Japanese transport fleet. Now the Japanese government and army will have to fight for
This sudden appearance of the "U.S. fleet" was a headache. However, this time we were feinting and had to pull back as soon as we fired. Unexpectedly, the Japanese suddenly saw so many fighter planes and so many American warships.
, what reaction will there be..."
"He must be pissed off and suspicious!"
After Yang Fei finished speaking with a smile, his expression became serious: "But after this scare, coupled with the fall of the areas around the Persian Gulf, I am worried that the Japanese army will strengthen the defense of the areas bordering us in Malaya, Burma and East India.
Then we will be passive!"
"No problem!"
An Yi said confidently: "It is also possible that after we show enough strength, the Japanese army will strengthen its attacks on New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand! After all, they are far away from our threats, coupled with a strong industrial base and rich minerals, they can be extremely
The earth enhances ***'s national power, which in turn promotes the consolidation of mainland defense!"
"I hope so!"
Yang Fei shrugged and followed An Yi out of the conference room.
When everyone took the elevator to the outside of the base camp, they discovered that the sun was already hanging over the mountain ridge. The sunlight was extremely dazzling. They covered their eyes with their hands for a while before they could adapt to such strong light.
...
At the Nicholson Airport southeast of Manila, a tall, solemn-looking soldier stood in front of the airport command building, surrounded by a group of guards.
At this moment, MacArthur's eyes were bloodshot and he looked haggard. He raised his head from time to time and looked towards the western sky, then stroked his forehead, shook his head and smiled bitterly, as if he was amused by his nervousness and expectation.
MacArthur had a special affection for the Philippines. At the end of the last century, when MacArthur was admitted to West Point Military Academy with excellent results, his father led a brigade of American troops, defeated the Spanish army, captured Manila, and served as the U.S. Governor in the Philippines and Commander of the Armed Forces. West Point Military Academy
After graduation, MacArthur served in the Engineer Battalion in the Philippines. When he left the post of principal of West Point Military Academy in 1922 and returned to the Philippines, he began to serve as commander of the Manila Military District. Six years later, he served as commander of the U.S. Army in the Philippines until he served as the U.S.
to the Chief of Army General Staff.
Before the outbreak of the war, MacArthur, who retired as a four-star general in the U.S. Army, resumed active duty in the Army and served as commander of the newly established U.S. Armed Forces Command in the Far East. He was also awarded the rank of lieutenant general in the Army.
After receiving additional domestic troops from the United States and possessing an aviation fleet equipped with nearly 300 fighter planes, and the Philippine Army also equipped with the latest weapons, MacArthur was very confident that through air-ground cooperation, he could drive the landing Japanese troops into the sea.
Even if it doesn't work, it can hold on for three to six months to buy enough time for domestic assistance in the United States, and a detailed combat plan has been formulated for this purpose. This plan is called the "Rainbow Five" plan by the U.S. Department of the Army.
However, the cruel reality gave MacArthur a loud slap in the face.
At the beginning of the war, the Philippine Air Force was completely wiped out. Due to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet lost all its capital ships, air superiority was completely lost, and the sea connection between the Philippines and the mainland was cut off. In the face of the Japanese navy, which had absolute superiority
, the Philippine Islands have actually become isolated islands, and the long-term combat plan formulated by MacArthur has quickly been reduced to paper talks.
One mistake and everything was lost. MacArthur could have transferred his troops to the Bataan Peninsula for a stubborn resistance. However, the U.S. military lost consecutive battles in the Pacific, especially when the Japanese landed on Oahu. MacArthur, who was paying attention to the progress of the war, was worried.
The agitation caused frequent mistakes and omissions in commanding the operations. As a result, the Japanese army blocked the road from Manila west to the Bataan Peninsula, and could only fight the final battle in the city of Manila.
As the three submarines that came to the rescue were sunk by the Japanese navy, MacArthur, who accepted Roosevelt's advice and prepared to evacuate to Australia to make a comeback, was disheartened and was ready to die for his country. However, in a twist of events, the Republic of South China across the South China Sea actually promised to send its air force.
Come to aid.
So far, there has never been such a large-scale airlift operation in history, and there is a vast South China Sea separated by more than a thousand kilometers. MacArthur is skeptical about this and does not think that the other party is capable of doing it. But since Roosevelt
As the president issued an order for full cooperation, MacArthur had no choice but to cooperate. All units, especially several airports around Manila, were assigned tasks to fully cooperate with the South China Air Force's operations.
Out of distrust of South China's strength, MacArthur did not bring the generals who defended Manila's defense lines today, nor did he ask the Philippine government to send personnel to greet him. He did not even notify his wife and children, but only brought his own bodyguards.
He and his staff came to the airport to see what happened.
"Commander, do you think Nanhua might send the air force to rescue us?"
MacArthur's aide-de-camp, Sidney Huff, looked at his watch nervously and asked intentionally when he saw MacArthur looking uneasy.
"Maybe!"
MacArthur was indeed attracted to his attention, and replied with some uncertainty: "That is a mysterious country. From its founding to the present, it has developed very fast, and has defeated the Japanese on land and in the air many times. It may be able to bring us
Miracles are not certain. Of course, we cannot expect too much in return. After all, we have to rely on ourselves to fight on land. If the Japanese army launches continuous attacks, it will be difficult to persist with the weak defense lines around Manila!"
"General!"
At this time, Major Lavry, the staff officer of the headquarters, quickly ran out from the airport control room, with a hint of joy on his face: "I just received news from the observation stations on the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island that a large number of fighter planes came from the western sky.
Come on, we'll be over Manila soon."
"Overwhelming?"
The tall MacArthur walked up to Lovery and patted the excited subordinate on the shoulder: "Major, are you not dizzy? Can airplanes fill the sky? How many airplanes are needed?"
"this--"
Major Lavery scratched his head and was about to answer when the huge roar of the aircraft engine came from the sky. He couldn't help but turn his head and look. After just a few glances, he screamed: "Look, this is called overwhelming."
...Oh, my God, how many fighter planes are there!"
At this moment, everyone, including MacArthur, looked westward and saw a dense fleet of aircraft flying over from the western sky, quickly covering up the clear blue sky.
This is composed of thirty large AN6 transport aircraft that have just arrived in Luzon Island and thirty escorting A27 fighter jets, plus a flight group that has already raided three Japanese forward airports more than 90 kilometers north of Manila, and nearly 400 fighter jets.
huge formation.
The American and Philippine officers and soldiers who had been notified in advance, as well as the Japanese soldiers who were preparing to launch an attack on the Manila defense line, were all stunned when they saw this terrifying fleet of aircraft. However, the shock of the Japanese army was eternal, and their heads were full of question marks. They didn't know what was going on.
Where did the wave of planes come from? The US military and Philippine officers and soldiers who had been psychologically prepared were only shocked for a moment.
After the shock, the American and Philippine officers and soldiers on the ground all cheered loudly for the huge aircraft fleet that was about to save them from danger. They took off their hats and threw them into the sky. Some excited American soldiers even fired shots into the sky to vent their anger.
Emotions, gunshots, and whistles came and went, but these insignificant sounds were all submerged in the deafening sound of the fleet's motors. After shattering the noise from the ground, the fleet continued to fly forward toward the airport.
MacArthur was dumbfounded. Now he finally understood what it means to be overwhelming. Under the cover of the plane, the clear sky that had been completely opened dimmed again. The "dark clouds" composed of the fleet of aircraft blocked the brilliance of the morning sun and enveloped Manila.
In the shadow of the plane.
MacArthur wiped his eyes in disbelief and realized that all this was not a dream. Then he woke up and quickly said to Major Lavery:
"The South China Air Force's fleet is here, hurry up and prepare to receive it. Also, call my wife and ask her to be prepared to evacuate at any time... Oh my God, I actually forgot to inform the officials of the Philippine government to be prepared.
I don’t know if they will blame me..."
At this time, the airport had already made preparations, and the radio signal had already contacted the opponent's fleet. Then one after another large transport aircraft, as well as fighter jets with shorter ranges, began to land on different runways one after another.
The first transport plane to land was a modified A6 passenger plane. After it turned to the tarmac and stopped, the cabin door opened. General Zhao Dongquan, Director of the General Office of the South China Military Commission and Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Li Yufu, Director of the General Staff Communications Department, and Air Force Operations
Major General Yipper Yankoski, the director of the department, and Colonel Cheng Shiming, deputy director of the General Staff Operations Department, appeared at the gangway entrance one after another.
MacArthur hurried to meet him.
As early as the last time when U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull led a delegation to visit South China, MacArthur had communicated with Zhao Dongquan. He knew that the general was one of the few high-ranking people in the South China Army. After cordially hugging Zhao Dongquan, he immediately used an exaggerated expression.
tone and asked loudly:
"General Zhao, I wonder how many planes you have sent to the Philippines? Oh my god, look at the blue sky. There are planes circling all over the sky. You know that they are planes, but you think we are flying kites!"
Zhao Dongquan did not expect MacArthur to be so funny. He smiled and replied loudly: "Those who think flying kites must have bad ears. At least now I have to listen hard to hear what you are saying, General Douglas..."
MacArthur laughed heartily, gave Zhao Dongquan an American military salute, and then walked towards several other Nanhua generals behind Zhao Dongquan.
When MacArthur, Li Yufu, Yipper Yankoski and Cheng Shiming shook hands and greeted loudly amidst the huge roar of the plane's motor, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head, saying: "Come on, general, we are here."
Talk in the building in front, otherwise your throat won’t be able to bear it if you keep talking so loudly!”
"Okay! Last time I said goodbye to Beijing, I also have a lot of things I want to talk to the general about!" MacArthur said as he greeted the guests and walked towards the airport building.
Before entering the building, MacArthur raised his head again and glanced longingly at the fleet of aircraft hovering in the sky. He thought to himself how great it would be if these were American fighter planes. Then he would no longer be afraid of the threat of the Japanese land, sea and air force. Say no.
We can definitely launch a counterattack against the Japanese landing troops.
Looking back at the planes landing on the airport runway, MacArthur suddenly felt ashamed. He thought that he had underestimated the courage of the Chinese. He did not expect that they would be so generous!
...
Three hours later, an old-fashioned truck ricketyly parked at the back entrance of the Manila Hotel, and MacArthur's adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Huff, was ordered to pick up Arthur's wife, Joan, and son Arthur Jr. for evacuation.
In the large suite on the top floor of the hotel, Joan was hurriedly packing her things. She stuffed food, clothes and a lot of photos into a large suitcase. Then, she did not forget to take out her belongings from a glass box.
My husband's medals and medals were packed in a towel and stuffed into the box.
Lieutenant Colonel Sidney Huff walked into the room, helped Mrs. Arthur pick up the box, lifted little Arthur's tricycle, hurriedly went downstairs, got into the car, and drove towards the airport. At this time, Tong
The road to the airport was actually jammed with traffic. A large number of military trucks, cars, jeeps, and even horse-drawn carriages and ox carts were all rushing towards the airport.
At the airport, it was already twelve o'clock at noon, and Mrs. Arthur was surprised to find that Philippine President Quezon and his family, other Philippine government officials, and the US High Commissioner in Manila, Francis Sayre, were already waiting there.
At this time, MacArthur had received the news that all the Japanese airports on Luzon Island had been destroyed by the South China Air Force. He was in a good mood. He picked up his son and said to Qiong: "You should evacuate to Indochina first. The South China government has made preparations."
Everything is ready for placement. I am the commander-in-chief of the Far Eastern Army, and I have to stay at the end!"
Mrs. Arthur said with some worry: "But, I'm worried about you..."
MacArthur smiled and said: "It's okay. The Japanese airport on Luzon Island has been destroyed by the South China Air Force. As long as the surrounding defense lines are not lost, I will be safe! Even if the Japanese army invades Manila, I can leave at any time.
, no problem!”
Mrs. Arthur was slightly reassured. She turned to look at the transport planes, fighter jets and bombers that were constantly taking off and landing at the airport, and asked curiously: "How many fighter planes did Nanhua dispatch? Are there enough for the troops to evacuate?"
"There are more than 300 large transport planes alone. Even if each plane transports 20 people, there are still 6,000 people at one time. The American boys can escape from the tiger's mouth in a day or two!"
MacArthur finished speaking with excitement, and then sighed: "However, it is impossible to transport them all, and some troops must be left behind. When the airport is threatened by the Japanese army, the airlift will be automatically suspended. Therefore, next I have to hurt those troops behind the scenes."
My brain...the palms and backs of my hands are full of flesh, I can’t bear to part with them..."
Zhao Dongquan on the side comforted him: "Our Nanhua Air Force will try our best to suppress the Japanese attack and try to save more troops..."
At this time, a staff officer came over to urge boarding and arranged for the passenger plane to pick up Mrs. Arthur, her son and the Philippine government officials to take off soon to make room for the next wave of aircraft to land.
MacArthur held his son in his arms, sent his wife off to the plane, and said goodbye to Quezon, Francis Searle and others.