Chapter 49 more dangerous situation

Neither MacArthur nor the "Caster" decipherers would have imagined that in order to prevent the rapid advance of the US military in the Pacific, the Japanese army had already formulated the "Operation Adai" plan to conduct a fleet decisive battle with the US military at sea. The Combined Fleet lacked aircraft carrier strength, and the "Operation Adai" plan called for the use of land-based aviation to make up for it.Biak Island is located in the sea area where the decisive battle was set, and the island has three airports, so it has become particularly important. For several weeks, the Japanese army has been sending reinforcements, including the Marine Corps, to Biak Island. By the time the 41st Division landed, the number of Japanese troops on the island had increased to 11,400, nearly three times the number estimated by "Caster", and more than one-third of them were well-trained elite troops.

Biak Island is densely covered with jungle-covered honeycomb-shaped multi-layered caves. The Japanese army used the caves as a cover to deliberately put the US troops ashore before launching a surprise attack.Unfortunately, the 41st Division encountered yet another Battle of Buna, morale was low, and Fuller kept pleading with Kruger for additional reinforcements. Although it proved that the number of Japanese troops in Biak was almost as large as that of the U.S. troops who landed on the island, and the terrain on the island was dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, MacArthur refused to send reinforcements. Ruger: "Biaak's progress is not satisfactory!"

In the week when the Biak Island landing battle was launched, the Allied forces successfully landed in Normandy. MacArthur believed that if he sent reinforcements, he would let the outside world know that while others were celebrating, he encountered difficulties in attacking. This is a very important thing. shameful thing. MacArthur's vanity and good face pushed the 41st Division into a more dangerous situation. Knowing that the U.S. Army had landed on Biak Island, the United Fleet almost dispatched all the air forces deployed in the Central Pacific region, plus the air forces dispatched from the Japanese inland, the Mariana Islands, and the Caroline Islands, all of which were used for comparison. The islands of Kerk and Wakerd were bombed.

The Seventh Fleet in the Biak sea area actively intercepted the Japanese aircraft that came for reinforcements one after another through anti-aircraft artillery fire, so that the Japanese aircraft failed to pose a serious threat over and around Biak Island.Wakerd Island was the hardest hit. All 60 aircraft parked on the airport were damaged or destroyed, and an ammunition depot was hit by a bomb. The explosion of the ammunition depot was so violent that people mistakenly believed that Wakerd Island There was an earthquake. The attack on Wakerd Airport means that the air defense force of Biak Island has been severely weakened, and the already miserable 41st Division may further lose air support.

Fortunately, the Japanese airmen who were transferred were accustomed to staying in the northern mid-latitudes and could not adapt to the southern climate and environment. Many of them fell down due to malaria or jungle fever, and they were unable to fly the aircraft after the first week.Entering June, a large area of ​​infection has occurred, and now even those who are not sick can hardly move. With the air strike as a prelude, the United Fleet launched a sea reinforcement operation code-named "Hun". The method was quite similar to the "Tokyo Express" during the Battle of Guadalcanal. The troops found out.

Submarines are one of the "main products" of the Seventh Fleet.When MacArthur was in the Philippines, he had the largest submarine force in the United States at that time. After he came to Australia, he divided the submarine force into two. One is the long-range submarine fleet, which is responsible for cutting off the raw material channels of the Japanese army in Southeast Asia, and the other is coastal defense. The fleet mainly operates around the Solomon Islands. Based on the fact that Japan created the Pearl Harbor incident first, the U.S. Department of the Navy broke the rules and ordered the implementation of unlimited submarine warfare against Japan, that is, it can attack Japanese merchant ships and transport ships. However, for a long time, the effectiveness of the submarine force was extremely limited.On the one hand, the submarines are old and young, and the torpedoes cannot exert their power due to technical defects. On the other hand, many captains are as timid and fearful as the former fleet commander Capender, who always stays at home and dare not take the initiative to fight.

Shortly after the Battle of Wheels, the Admiralty allocated 10 additional improved submarines to the Southwest Theater, bringing the total number of submarines in the Seventh Fleet to 30.At the same time, the torpedo's technical flaws were finally resolved. Followed by personnel adjustments, just like dismissing Carpender, most of the submarine captains who were good and bad were replaced, replaced by a group of young, promising and rich in combat experience. The young officers of the army took their place. Since then, the performance of the submarine force has greatly improved. In the second half of 1943 alone, 72 Japanese ships were sunk in Southeast Asia, most of which were important oil tankers.

Japanese submarines also had a good time, sinking a large U.S. aircraft carrier. However, since the middle and late stages of the Battle of Guadalcanal, they could only serve as "sea taxis". On the contrary, U.S. submarines came from behind and played an increasingly important strategic role. . The Japanese reinforcements carrying out Operation "Hun" went to sea in three batches, but none of them escaped the surveillance of the Seventh Fleet's submarine force.