Chapter 59 tokyo rose

The appearance of the U.S. underwater demolition team terrified the Japanese military officers on Saipan. They knew that the U.S. military would soon launch a landing. Nagumo is the nominal supreme commander of Saipan, but he has been in command of naval battles, and he has no eyes for land battles. Therefore, he often only listens to Xiaobata, and he will do what Xiaobata says.Just as Obata went out to inspect again, the remaining chief of staff of the 31st Army, Maj. Gen. Keiji Izuru, was too low-level. In this way, the tactical command on the island fell to Lieutenant General Saito Yoshiji, the commander of the 43rd Division.

Saito was a fat man with a big belly and pale face. He was a cavalry soldier. He used to purchase military horses. Regardless of his character or experience, he was not suitable for leading troops in battle.The Japanese army base camp ordered him to defend the enemy on the beach instead of in depth, so he followed the script and did it exactly. Tokyo not only sent orders to Saipan, but also launched a psychological propaganda war against the US military through the "Tokyo Rose".The so-called "Tokyo Rose" is an American girl of Japanese descent.When the Pacific War broke out, she had just graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was visiting her sick aunt in Japan. After that, she worked as an announcer for the United States on Radio Tokyo, calling herself "Orphan Annie, Your Favorite Enemy." People gave her the nickname "Tokyo Rose".

On the evening of June 14, 1944, "Tokyo Rose" said on the radio: "I have prepared some good records for you (referring to the US military), and they have just arrived from the United States. You'd better enjoy them while you can, because Tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock you are going to attack Saipan. We are ready and waiting for you to attack. So, while you are still alive, let us listen to..." "Tokyo Rose" is just alarmist talk, and does not know the exact time of the US military's landing, but according to the plan of the "surprise attack", it happens to be the next morning.In addition, the military doctor warned that the US military would encounter more than one kind of enemy on Saipan. In addition to the stubborn Japanese soldiers, there were sharks, barracudas, sea snakes, corals, poisonous fish and giant clams in the water when they landed. And leprosy, typhus, filariasis, typhoid, dysentery, and even snakes and tuataras...

After listening to this, an American soldier asked the military doctor boldly: "Your Excellency, military doctor, why don't we let the Japanese continue to occupy this island?" All joking aside, the landing force is not weak.As the main force of the Second Marine Division and the Fourth Marine Division, one has experienced the battles of Guadalcanal and the Gilbert Islands, and the other has been tested by the Battle of the Marshall Islands. They are both strong troops with many veterans. While Tokyo was engaged in a "war of tongues", the transport ship carrying the two troops slowly approached Saipan.In the dark night, you can see that the buildings, weeds and forests on the island are still burning, and the fire reflects the sky red.

After daybreak, Saipan was completely revealed like a monster emerging from the sea, and Garapan to the north of it gradually came into view of the marines. At 5:30 a.m. on June 15, the U.S. support fleet began its final two-hour bombardment.During the bombardment, the Japanese army huddled in bunkers on the beach and on the hillside. They held Molotov cocktails and grenades, ready to give an order, and rushed up to fight the US troops at any time.A soldier wrote in his diary in a sad tone: "What I am concerned about is that after we die, I don't know what will happen to Japan."

Twelve minutes later, Turner issued an order: "Landing troops ashore." The chaplain prayed to the soldiers and sent blessings. A priest said: "Most of you can come back, but some people are going to see Creator God." At 7 o'clock in the morning, the bombardment ended, and 34 dock landing ships drove to the coast departure line.The dock landing ship is made on the principle of a floating dock. There is a wide door at the front, which allows the crawler landing vehicle to drive directly into the abdomen. Once the door is closed, the water in the dock can be completely drained.

As soon as it reaches the starting line, the dock landing ship opens the gate and releases the crawler landing vehicle. Some people vividly compare it to the birth of many small fish from the belly of a whale. "It's starting!" a Japanese soldier shouted in panic. In fact, the substantive landing operation has not yet started, and the 155 carrier-based aircraft that took off from the escorting aircraft carrier still need to do the last round of bombing. spin around. The Pacific War mobilized the best minds of the United States and the most powerful industrial forces in the world. Not only did new weapons and tools emerge in an endless stream, but even old weapons were grafted with new technologies.For example, these carrier-based aircraft are equipped with aircraft rockets, which can effectively destroy Japanese fortifications and suppress the defenders on the beach.

The bombing scene was spectacular, with rockets roaring into the Japanese defensive positions.Half an hour later, when the plane returned, the entire coastline was still shrouded in smoke.