Chapter 76, The Fall of Melbourne (Part 2)
United States, Washington, White House
President Truman, who had been kept awake at night by a series of bad news, unexpectedly received the news of the fall of Melbourne.
Although he had anticipated this in advance, when the news actually came, he still felt uncontrollable anger and sadness.
——The Australian continent belonging to the white race is about to disappear! This land will be completely taken away by those inferior yellow-skinned monkeys!
This is the first time since the Europeans discovered the Americas that such a huge reversal has occurred. In the past, only noble Western white people sailed and colonized the world, annihilating the stupid and inferior people of color one by one, and then selected the best land among them. Turn it into a new home for white people.
In the eyes of white racists, this is the arrangement of Almighty God, their manifest destiny, and the blessing bestowed upon them by fate.
Because these guys with noble white skin are destined to become the rulers of the earth and the center of human civilization.
But now those rebellious Japanese are frantically trying to resist God's arrangement, and they are using a series of inhumane massacres to "dye yellow" Australia, which has been occupied by white people... It is really unreasonable! But the United States has nothing to do about it for the time being! !
Fortunately, when the blue flag of the Southern Cross of the Commonwealth of Australia was burning and falling from the city of Melbourne, the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America, which represented the glory of white people, successfully flew again in Malacañang Palace in Manila (the Presidential Palace of the Philippines). ) rises in front of the door...thinking of this , President Truman couldn't help but raise his head from behind his desk, and looked at General MacArthur sitting opposite him with a very complicated look. This was the chief graduate of the West Point Military Academy with a distinguished family background and a profound background, and someone even President Roosevelt was afraid of. Extremely "star commander".
"...Dear Douglas, do you have any opinion on the fall of Melbourne and the Australian strategy of retreating to Shank Point? After all, judging from the map, the current situation of the Australians seems to be similar to that of the Pakistanis you commanded after withdrawing from Manila. The Battle of Dan Peninsula is very similar. Melbourne is equivalent to Manila, Phillip Bay is equivalent to Manila Bay, and Shank Point Peninsula is Australia's Bataan Peninsula..."
President Truman pointed to the map of Australia on his desk and said, "...so I'd like to hear your opinion."
"...There is indeed some resemblance, but it only looks similar on the map. The situation of Australians today is much worse than when I was in Bataan Peninsula. Don't forget, I was in Australia with The Japanese have been fighting for several years, and their familiarity with Melbourne and Shank Point is not much worse than that of Manila, so I am very optimistic about the future prospects of the Australians - it is a miracle that they can last for two months!"
Marshal of the Republic of the Philippines, "Savior of Manila", five-star General Douglas MacArthur held his beloved corn cob pipe in his mouth and puffed out smoke rings. After half a year, today's General MacArthur is no longer the same as last winter. He was captured by the Japanese in a sneak attack and was forced to be put in an iron cage and paraded on the streets like exotic animals. Instead, he successfully put on the winner's crown again and was as high-spirited as before.
Although his so-called victory was just fighting several small-scale urban security battles in the Philippines, repelling several "Hook" guerrillas of the Communist Party of the Philippines who basically only had light weapons, and recaptured the capital Manila and several other seaport cities... ...At the same time, there are more than 50,000 "Hook" red militants still entrenched in the Baguio Mountains in northern Luzon. There are still more than 30,000 religious extremists who have established a separate country in Mindanao.
But no matter how much moisture is contained in MacArthur's "famous general" record, he is still one of the most experienced generals in the U.S. Army.
"...Many years before the Pearl Harbor incident broke out and the Philippine Defense War began, our military stationed in the Philippines formulated an 'Orange 3 Operation Plan (WPO-3)'. That is, when sea control was lost and the enemy's landing operations were blocked, If you can't stay, you can retreat to the Bataan Peninsula within sight of Manila, and then continue to hold out for six months until the navy brings reinforcements from the mainland. The battle of Bataan under my command is actually carried out according to the plan. br>
Because we had such a plan a long time ago, our army had already carried out a lot of construction on the Bataan Peninsula and built a large number of military facilities before the war. Especially Corregidor Island, which is located at the tip of the Bataan Peninsula and guards the exit of Manila Bay. Like Gibraltar, the entire island has been fortified. The shore defense artillery, mortars, and anti-aircraft guns along the beach are powerful, and a labyrinth of tunnels have been dug in the highlands of the island. They are the best air raid shelters and can accommodate hospitals, headquarters and warehouses... Without these things, I would be It is impossible to hold on in Bataan for half a year.
However, the Australians have never carried out such large-scale civil work at Shank Point, at least not until I left the Australian battlefield. The Allied military facilities at Shank Point only included a few coastal defense forts, radar stations and an anti-aircraft gun position. Although the large-caliber shore guns at Shank Point are indeed very powerful and the forts are very strong, just like the forts built by the British in Singapore, they cannot turn the muzzles to deal with enemies coming from the land side. Moreover, there are no ready-made bunker caves underground there, and there are not even many houses on the ground.
If Prime Minister Katyn organizes tens of thousands of troops to withdraw, then they may not even have a place to live at Shank Point and can only pitch tents and camp. There is no place to store the materials rushed from Melbourne. They can only be piled in the open air, or at most hidden in the woods... But now the sky in Australia belongs to the Japanese. With just a few carpet bombings, the Australians can be wiped out. Supplies, soldiers, and the forest at Shank Point were burned together.
To make matters worse, on the Bataan Peninsula, not only did I have ready-made fortifications to rely on, but the Japanese Army on the opposite side only had about two divisions; while at Shank Point, the Australians had to face at least twenty troops in the wilderness. The strong attack of thousands of Japanese troops... Therefore, if they can persist at Shank Point for two months, it will be a miracle given by God. In fact, I reckon they'd have a hard time holding on at Shank Point for two weeks..."
General MacArthur spoke so eloquently to President Truman, "...unless the United States can provide sufficient support to the Commonwealth of Australia as soon as possible, otherwise, we must be prepared for the worst-case scenario of losing Australia and New Zealand forever, or even being driven out of the Samoa Islands. Plan to..."
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President Truman also intellectually agreed with the pessimistic prospects of the Southwest Pacific Front predicted by General MacArthur.
However, the United States is really unable to provide any support to the Australian federal government at present... President Truman rubbed his hands and smiled bitterly - since the summer of 1946, all kinds of discouraging bad news have been like a tide. They rushed to the White House like crazy.
General Patton's army suffered an unprecedented rout on the Japanese battlefield. It lost more than 300,000 troops in one breath. The entire front line retreated nearly a thousand kilometers. It is still being bombed every day. Only God knows what the Japanese are like. So many warships, tanks and planes were magically conjured.
General Halsey's fleet was destroyed by a major typhoon, with a quarter of the ships destroyed, and he resigned sadly. In order to mobilize the fleet to defend Hawaii, the Pentagon had to retreat from the Southwest Pacific in large strides, abandoning the Fiji Islands and New Caledonia that it had worked hard to conquer before. The route between the mainland and New Zealand has once again become perilous. New Zealand has lost nearly one-fifth of its population in the brutal war, and has destroyed almost all of the country's industrial facilities. Without the strong assistance of the US military, New Zealanders would no longer be able to resist the Japanese invasion.
In addition, the American Samoa Islands farther east are about to be in danger... Therefore, Lieutenant General Aubrey Fitch, who was recently ordered to Pearl Harbor to replace Admiral Halsey, just sent a telegram lamenting that now Not only was the strength of the Pacific Fleet greatly reduced, but it was also full of pessimism. Morale was "extremely low." The hair of many senior generals had turned white, and many people were still taking sedatives as prescribed by doctors. Although Lieutenant General Fitch was still trying to cheer up his men, saying, "Although we took another beating, I have no doubt about the final victory." But no one was willing to listen.
In the recent Pacific battlefield, the only victory the United States can publicize is MacArthur's victory in recovering the Philippines... But this cannot reverse the overall strategic decline of the United States, nor is it enough to once again lift the morale of the people of the United States, which is extremely low.
On the other hand, the United States of America's own navy and army have certainly made a mess of the war, and the various allies of the White House are generally unable to hold up the wall.
In Europe, the British and the anti-Soviet alliance they cobbled together fought fiercely for a long time with the Soviet giant bears and the red elements in various European countries. Almost all tricks were used, but they still could not stop the Soviet Red Army's iron armor torrent. At best, it was only slightly blocked. The footsteps of the other party—— After crossing the Pyrenees, it took the Soviet Red Army less than two months to easily crush General Franco's weak resistance and successfully enter the capital, Madrid, in response to uprisings by Spanish red elements. , is now approaching Portugal's eastern border. Lisbon is currently in turmoil. President Salazar has announced that he will move the government to the Azores Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. General Franco, who lost his capital, led the remaining government troops and retreated to Andalusia, the southernmost tip of Spain, together with the British Expeditionary Force, preparing to mount a final resistance against the Fortress of Gibraltar...
In South Asia, Prime Minister Churchill used the British Empire's best tricks to win a diplomatic victory that is not worthy of praise. He recovered most of India on the map and legally. It can be regarded as the endless defeat of the British Empire over the years. Amidst the gloom, there is a rare and precious bright color... But its value only goes so far. Under the banner of jointly opposing the Bolsheviks, India's princes and indigenous forces actually control all power, and only have polite respect for the British. Surrender. The British Empire, with its authority completely lost, may no longer be able to extract much wealth from the Indian subcontinent to fill its treasury. Unless Whitehall in London could recommit hundreds of thousands of troops to an expedition halfway around the world to fight another war of Indian conquest - but this was obviously impossible. In the future, India will still be turbulent in the flames of war, but no matter who the final winner is, it has nothing to do with the glory of the British Empire.
In Southeast Asia, Prime Minister Churchill is still enthusiastically trying various military adventures and diplomatic games, trying to repeat the paper victory he won in the Indian subcontinent with an extremely small expeditionary force and the century-old prestige of the British Empire. However, the results are consecutive. India Victory on paper cannot be achieved - after a period of intimidation and blackmail without the backing of force, the nationalist leaders of Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaya, and Indonesia all clearly believed that the British were insulting their IQ. Sternly refused to surrender to the British Empire. The only response Churchill could make was to launch gunboat diplomacy, allowing his small fleet deployed in the east to bombard ports everywhere, or occasionally conduct landings and sneak attacks. But they did not have the troops to expand the landing site, nor could they securely occupy a port for a long time, let alone penetrate into the humid and wild tropical rainforest interior to wipe out the countless indigenous rebels.
——After all, it is no longer the time in the early days of the Age of Discovery, when Pizarro and Colste could easily conquer a large empire of people of color with only a few hundred white expeditions... And in Southeast Asia, The various indigenous peoples are not barbarians who know nothing about modern warfare.
In the end, the British's current gunboat diplomacy in Southeast Asia has completely turned into a free agent for the Thais to expand their territory. With the support of US military aid and the assistance of the British fleet, Thai troops from all walks of life launched a full-scale attack on the Malay Peninsula, Laos and Cambodia. So far, they have seized more than 100,000 square kilometers of land... But even according to the most self-deceptive From the perspective of the United States and Britain, it is difficult to say what significance such a record has to the United States and Britain.
In Northeast Asia, the allies supported by the United States are equally desperate - on the Korean Peninsula, the barely cobbled-together "Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea" finally received a massive amount of Soviet aid after struggling in the capital Seoul for several months. The red molecules were drowned.
In the more critical battlefield of China, although the White House and No. 10 Downing Street have tried their best, they not only risked being ambushed by Japanese submarines, but also organized convoys to cross the Pacific again and again to deliver death to Chairman Chiang. Possibly more arms and supplies, and even went into battle in person to let Stilwell He led an allied force to the Yangtze River Delta, asked the British troops in Hong Kong to assist in the defense of Guangzhou, and organized an expeditionary fleet to go deep into China's inland rivers to help Chairman Chiang Kai-shek defend the Yangtze River defense line... But in the end, it still failed to prevent the Nationalist Government from continuing its military offensive. The defeat was like a mountain, and the capital Nanjing was lost again...
——Long before the US military came to mainland China, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army had already crossed the Yangtze River from Wuhan and Chongqing in the upper reaches, and was overwhelmingly on the battlefields in Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Guangdong, forcing Chairman Chiang's forces to the coastal line. , the so-called Yangtze River Defense Line has long lost its meaning.
Chairman Chiang Kai-shek's most reliable direct troops had been basically exhausted before the collapse of the Japanese Empire. When the first batch of US aid supplies arrived at Ningbo Port, he only had some of the troops that had just been exchanged from the puppet army. The loyalty, obedience, and combat effectiveness of the troops of the Pi Cheng National Revolutionary Army are extremely questionable. Chairman Chiang Kai-shek cannot even accurately grasp the number of their troops, and they have generally been severely infiltrated by red elements.
Therefore, despite all kinds of shameless and tenacious struggles, Chairman Chiang still could not escape the fate of being stepped on and rubbed by the Red Army. He was driven out of Nanjing in disgrace two months ago. Now, The government has been moved to Zhoushan Island and is even planning to move further to Taiwan. Bay, leaving behind a bunch of miscellaneous troops and Stilwell's allies that they didn't intend to take away, they continued to fight street battles with the Red Army in Shanghai... At the same time, Guangzhou, which the British army was responsible for assisting in defense, was also captured a month ago. The Chinese Red Army broke through, and Churchill had to consider whether to conduct a second Hong Kong defense battle.
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All in all, from Europe to Asia, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the red camp led by the Soviet Union has shown a momentum of rapid progress, which has completely plunged the United States of America, the general backstage of the freedom camp, into despair from one failure to another. The dilemma has also caused the United States to Analysts from the British Intelligence Agency and the British Intelligence Agency fell into a state of madness that was almost sent to a lunatic asylum. According to their calculations, it was impossible for the Soviets to come up with so much arms and materials to maintain such a high level of power for such a long period of time. Intense expeditionary operations cannot be accomplished even if you cut your belt.
The Japanese's military production and logistics capabilities have also incredibly increased with the gradual fall of the homeland. By the time Japan's red regime was established, it had grown to the point where it could overwhelm the United States of America head-on. In the past few months, the total number of Japanese aircraft shot down by the Allied forces on various fronts had reached an insane 400,000, far exceeding that of the United States. Total military aircraft production since the war began! !
Therefore, American intelligence officers have been hysterically shouting "This is not scientific!" "This is not logical!" every day in recent months... But it is of no use at all. The cruel reality is like this, and you cannot deny it. . At least the enemy shells won't disappear because of your denial.
In the end, this group of intelligence officers who were on the verge of insanity could only submit to President Truman this conclusion: that is, all the intelligence data collected on the Soviet Union and the Japanese Empire before the war were not full of huge errors, but basically missing. You're right, Washington and London have been waging the most absurd war in history based on a complete set of completely wrong intelligence data and a group of imaginary enemies in recent years...
As you can imagine, this is a scene that makes the White House, Capitol Hill, the Pentagon and Wall Street want to vomit blood.
——Although the United States prides itself on being the arsenal of democratic countries, it has full confidence in its own industrial strength. However, the United States of America is not like the sun, with nearly infinite power. What supports millions of U.S. troops on expeditions to various battlefields around the world, and thousands of Liberty and Victory ship fleets traveling across the four oceans, are the resources, wealth, and morale that the United States of America has accumulated bit by bit over several generations.
If these astronomical investments are made, they will not be able to get a brilliant victory and the enemy's collapse, but will only get the humiliation of various defeats and a senseless waste of troops and materials. Then the seemingly powerful war machine of the United States of America will wear out rapidly and irreversibly.
In fact, after such a long period of setbacks and sacrifices several times greater than those in the Civil War, the morale of the American people has now reached its lowest ebb. The 130 million Americans are already tired of the endless lists of dead. dwindling rations, always empty store shelves ——Even under wartime martial law, sporadic anti-war demonstrations began to appear in major cities in the East and West, and the number of participants increased every time... Although the Truman administration strictly suppressed these and ordered the press to and the radio station blocked the news, but the situation is still getting worse.
And among the upper class of society in the United States, and even within the ruling class, they are gradually beginning to criticize the current war, which is costly, has no profits, and loses more than it loses. The White House, Capitol Hill, and the Pentagon are not fools. When the spinning dice slowly stopped again and again, and the numbers displayed were never the numbers needed to win the bet, they didn't want to waste any more money on their bets.
However, in this era of highly complex society, rulers can no longer act as recklessly as the warlike kings of medieval Europe. It will definitely be more difficult for the United States of America to end a war with dignity than to start one... For this massive war, Wall Street has invested too much capital, and even overdrafted everything. It is simply unable to Accept a loss of money. Since the plutocratic bosses would rather drag the entire United States into the funeral than cut off their losses and make their own industries unlucky, then Truman could only fight the war to the end with his eyes closed.
But despite such determination and awareness, he still had nothing to do with Australia, which was about to fall... After all, manpower was sometimes poor.
For those Allied warriors who are still desperately guarding the last piece of land on the Australian continent, President Truman has no way to send them any support troops or much supplies. He can only give them a little spiritual support. A little motivating.
"...Well, it seems that we can only accept the reality. Now help me draft a condolence telegram to the Australian Federation as soon as possible! Let's just say that the people of the entire civilized world will be grateful for their heroic fight and will always remember them. The great sacrifice..." After a moment of silence, President Truman sighed, turned to his personal secretary and gave these instructions, and then turned to General MacArthur, "...and, Glass, what do you think of the next round of nuclear bomb strikes prepared by the United States? Well, you should know that the three atomic bombs we produced in the second batch have been deployed, and the third batch of atomic bombs is about to leave Oak Ridge. The factory is completed... Can we use a larger-scale nuclear bombardment to frighten these tenacious enemies and even shake and destroy their will to fight..."