The Japanese took advantage of this time to run quickly to the American troops, using bayonets and wooden sticks to engage in white-knuckle combat with the American troops. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

As usual, the U.S. forces were still outnumbered by the dwarfed Japanese in white-knuckle combat, and even these hungry wounded soldiers could not be defeated...... In fact, this is no longer a matter of physical strength or combat effectiveness, but completely suppressed by the Japanese army psychologically and momentum, so he did not dare to fight against the Japanese army at all.

As a result, the troops of two battalions of the American army fled under the onslaught of the Japanese army...... But the escape was even worse, as the Japanese pursued them and even killed the American artillery unit in the early hours of the morning.

The U.S. artillery bombarded the Japanese from a distance of 1,000 yards, but it was useless, because the Japanese and the U.S. were already bitten together, and it was difficult for the artillery to find the target and not be able to blow up a wall of fire in front, because that would make it impossible for the U.S. troops themselves to escape.

So the American artillery could only fire sporadically, and then to 500 yards, 300 yards...... In the end, the Japanese still rushed in, and the American gunners were also frightened by the bayonets in the hands of the fanatical Japanese wounded soldiers, so they abandoned the cannon and fled backwards, and the Japanese wounded soldiers turned their guns and fired in the direction of the American troops, and the rest of the wounded soldiers continued to pursue, and even killed the regimental headquarters of the 105th Regiment of the American Army.

However, as the sky brightened, the good fortune of the Japanese army finally came to an end......

The US military sent a large number of fighters and bombers from the aircraft carrier, and under the guidance of the US rout troops, they swooped down in batches and strafed and dropped bombs, and finally blocked the charge of the wounded Japanese soldiers.

At this time, the U.S. troops, who came back to their senses, found that the Japanese soldiers who had been chasing and killing them for several hours were ...... Many were wounded soldiers with broken hands and legs or limping.

The war on Saipan ended on the 25th day, with 14,111 U.S. casualties and more than 40,000 Japanese casualties...... The reason why it is used is because many of the local natives were forced to join the ranks of the Japanese army to participate in the war, and they can no longer be distinguished from the Japanese army.

The battle shocked Halsey and even senior U.S. military officers. The reason is that they can't believe that the US military has to pay so many casualties to take an isolated island when it has already won the decisive right in the battle with comprehensive sea and air superiority, which makes the US military a little unimaginable...... Because according to their thinking, the Japanese who were trapped on the isolated island should have surrendered a long time ago.

"Can I talk to you about that?" In Halsey's headquarters, Halsey, who was holding the telegram, asked in disbelief.

"What?" Zhang Chi was asked a little inexplicably by Halsey.

"Look at this ......" Halsey handed the telegram to Zhang Chi: "We barely caught many prisoners, there were Japanese corpses everywhere, there were soldiers, civilians, and even children...... I mean, Japanese women jumped off a cliff with their babies in their arms, and we didn't mean to hurt them. Why? ”

It's no wonder Halsey asked, this phenomenon had never been seen before...... Although the Marshall Islands was also under Japanese rule for a long time, not many Japanese emigrated there, and the Japanese army had withdrawn all their military dependents before the war.

But now, because of the blockade of U.S. submarines and the fact that Saipan is not far from the Japanese mainland, there are not a few Japanese and military families who choose to live here.

Military families are women and children, and as Halsey said, they chose to jump off the cliff with their children in their arms at the last moment......

Zhang Chi didn't know how to explain to Halsey for a while, but after thinking about it, he could only answer: "Maybe this is the difference between Eastern and Western cultures......

"Culture?" Halsey looked at Zhang Chi with some confusion.

"You know that...... China has a very strong influence in history! Zhang Chi explained: "Therefore, China's neighboring countries, including Japan, are actually influenced and influenced by Chinese culture, and in China's thousands of years of war history, it is full of the integrity of 'killing oneself and sacrificing one's life for righteousness'." Over time, this kind of temperament has become mainstream in the Asian continent! ”

Halsey nodded as if he didn't understand, which was probably the best explanation.

After a pause, Zhang Chi asked Halsey: "General, since the Mariana war has mostly ended, and the maintenance of the escort aircraft carrier is nearing completion, I wonder if we can go back to Rabaul?" ”

"No, of course not!" Halsey replied without thinking.

"Why?" Zhang Chi asked puzzled.

"Colonel, have you forgotten our purpose in seizing the Mariana Islands?" Halsey asked rhetorically.

"Of course not!" Zhang Chi replied: "After seizing the Mariana Islands, we can use the Mariana Islands as a base to directly bomb the Japanese mainland!" ”

"So......" Hal shrugged.

"But what does this have to do with us......" Before the words were finished, Zhang Chi suddenly understood.

To bomb the Japanese mainland, it means that a large amount of materials and supplies must be transported, such as bomber fuel, spare parts, aerial bombs, etc., to the Mariana Islands, and the construction of airfields can save a lot of trouble, because the Japanese have basically helped the Americans repair ...... There are three airfields on Saipan and four on Tinian Island, plus two on Guam, nine airfields are enough for the US military.

But it was a hassle to transport so many supplies, and it was still from distant America.

"So ......" Zhang Chi said, "the next step, the task of the Chinese Navy is to escort ships?" ”

"Yes!" Halsey nodded: "There will be a large number of transport ships coming and going on the route during this time...... We are afraid that Japanese submarines will attack on a large scale, so we need a large escort formation, you won't refuse! ”

"Of course not!" Zhang Chi replied.

Just kidding, at the thought of being able to bomb the Japanese mainland, Zhang Chi didn't want to mention how comfortable he was, how could he still refuse!

Halsey's concerns, however, were somewhat unfounded......

Sadao Akamatsu, known as one of the "Three Traitors and Four Fools" and also the secretary of Hideki Tojo, advised Hideki Tojo to let the submarine attack and attack the transportation lines of the US military.

Sadao Akamatsu is an army background, and although he is not familiar with naval warfare, he is well aware of the B29 bomber deployed by the U.S. military in China.

So he suggested to Hideki Tojo: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, the loss of the Mariana Islands is the most dangerous ...... It is the American bombers that can take off from the Mariana to bomb Japan at will, and we should stop them from doing so and let the submarine forces attack! It's like their submarines blocking our supply lines! ”

Hideki Tojo sighed and said slowly, "Akamatsu-kun, what do you think...... Can we do it? ”

(To be continued.) )