Chapter 41 Chapter 5 You can swallow it with a bowl of water

In mid-January 1944, the Fifth Fleet launched "Operation Fusiliers" targeting the Marshall Islands. At this time, the size of the Fifth Fleet expanded again. Before the operation, the entire Pearl Harbor was densely packed with ships, making the port look like it was made of steel. The sailors called it the "Big Blue Fleet."After the Fifth Fleet left the port, Pearl Harbor suddenly became empty again, as if a city had disappeared. Like the implementation of the "recovery operation", Lieutenant General Spruance, commander of the Fifth Fleet, still served as the commander-in-chief of the operation, but at the pre-war preparation meeting, there were differences between him and Nimitz.

In view of the lessons of "Operation Recovery", Spruance advocated eating at one bite and taking several atolls step by step.Nimitz said that it is right to stutter with one bite, but open your mouth wider when you take the first bite-bypassing other atolls and heading straight for Kwajalein Atoll. Kwajalein Atoll is located in the center of the Marshall Islands, where the headquarters of the Japanese Army is located. After the U.S. military captured it, they would get two airports and a first-class anchorage, and everyone would be tempted to hear it.But when Nimitz proposed, the three giants, Commander-in-Chief Spruance, Landing Formation Commander Turner, and Marine Commander Holland Smith, all expressed strong opposition.

These three people considered practical difficulties.After the U.S. military occupied Kwajalein Atoll, they had to establish a line of communication between Kwajalein, Gilbert, and Pearl Harbor, and the two atolls that were bypassed would cut off this line of communication. There are Japanese airfields, which can carry out air strikes and bombings on Kwajalein. The attack on Kwajalein is naturally a fight for hegemony in the world, but if you can't beat it, don't even think about disappearing from the world. Wouldn't it be miserable if you can't defend and run and can't escape?

Nimitz has always been able to accept the advice of his subordinates, but this time he stood his ground.His decision-making was not a conclusion drawn at a whim, but mainly based on the intelligence deciphered by the radio intelligence unit.Intelligence showed that the Japanese army was strengthening fortifications on other islands, but Kwajalein Atoll was ignored. Obviously, the thinking of the Japanese army is conventional thinking, and they also think that the US military will attack one by one from the periphery.It is the secret of a military strategist to be surprised and to attack the unprepared, and Nimitz is never willing to give up what he thinks is correct.

For the last time, Nimitz asked Spruance and others for their opinions one by one: "What do you think about it now?" The answer I got was without exception: "Fight the outlying islands." After a brief silence, Nimitz said in an unquestionable tone: "But everyone, our next target is Kwajalein Atoll!" Spruance and Holland Smith fell silent, but Turner continued to say that it was a risky and reckless move.Nimitz's tone was gentle, but sharp-edged: "If you don't want to do it, replace it. Are you willing to do it or not?" The three looked at each other.It turns out that the so-called appeal is empty. To put it bluntly, it is the appeal. If it is against the ear, there are killer moves waiting here.

Seeing the "ultimatum" issued by the big head, several people gave in, and even Turner frowned and said, "Of course I am willing to do it." On January 30, the North and South troops of the Fifth Fleet arrived at Kwajalein Atoll respectively.Nimitz obviously made a wise decision. He directly took Kwajalein's approach, which not only shocked and surprised his subordinates, but also greatly exceeded the expectations of the Japanese army. . But the weakened defensive ability does not mean that it is easy to play.As the central island of the Marshall Islands, Kwajalein is undoubtedly an extremely strong stronghold. If the tactics are not appropriate, the "recovery operation" is a lesson from the past.

American war historians call the "recovery operation" the "seed bed of victory in 1945". Fortunately, the US military had the chance to avoid falling into the pit for the second time after paying the bloody price.They concluded that the huge loss of the "recovery operation" was not only due to the simultaneous attack on Makin Atoll and Tarawa Atoll, which dispersed the troops, but also the fact that the U.S. military lacked the ability to capture coral atolls, both in theory and in practice. The atoll experience led to numerous command errors. One of the lessons is that on a coral island that is highly fortified by the Japanese army, the strength of the fortifications cannot be overestimated. No matter how many bombs and shells you throw, you may not be able to seriously damage it, let alone completely destroy it. .This tells the Navy that the supporting firepower is not enough, not too much.

Different from "Operation Recovery", "Operation Fusiliers" adopted the tactics of a lion fighting a rabbit, supporting the intensive concentration of firepower, which reached an unprecedented level in the Pacific War, and some people even thought it was a bit of a big deal. First, land-based aircraft conducted continuous long-distance bombing, then the fast aircraft carrier group of the 58th Task Force carried out intensive bombing for three days, and finally, before landing, the support fleet bombarded continuously for two days.According to statistics, the number of bombs and artillery shells dropped by the U.S. military on the Marshall Islands is four times that of when it attacked the Gilbert Islands.A reporter accompanying the army reported: "The whole island seemed to be thrown up to a height of 20,000 feet and then fell back down."

With the ostentation, you have to figure out the use.The naval guns involved in the bombardment all used large-caliber artillery and armor-piercing projectiles, which could at least effectively penetrate the upper part of the Japanese fortifications during the bombardment.For each bombing and shelling, the extent of the damage must be ascertained after the smoke dissipates, and then the bombing and shooting will be repeated in a targeted manner based on the actual effect. Another detail can also reflect the introspection spirit and consciousness of Americans.After Nimitz inspected Betio Island, he specially built a test site on a remote island in Hawaii, and copied the Japanese bunkers and sand-top bunkers as they were.The navy repeatedly bombarded the replica with naval guns. Experiments found that the most effective way to destroy the Japanese island fortifications was not short-range flat fire, but long-distance artillery low-firing, so the supporting fleet adopted this bombardment method.

By the time the U.S. military officially landed on Kwajalein Atoll, there were no intact fortifications on the island, and about half of the Japanese soldiers guarding the island were killed.