Chapter 71 listless flock

On June 30, the 27th Infantry Division under the command of Jarman finally broke through the "Valley of Death" and was on par with the other two Marine Divisions. The entire US military front became a solid whole. Before this, the U.S. military could be said to be struggling. Even the Fourth Marine Division said: "No one has fought a tougher battle than this." But after that, the battle went smoothly. To eat, to have honey to drink, marching has become "rabbit hunting". The Marine Corps' style of not allowing the opponent any respite made it impossible for the Japanese army to establish a new line of defense throughout the island. By July 5, the Japanese army had been driven to the northern third of Saipan.

In the afternoon of that day, Major Hiragushi went to the front line to inspect, but there was no front line, and the soldiers retreated automatically before the U.S. army launched an offensive. Hiraguchi rushed back to the headquarters to report, after listening to the report, everyone was silent.Although the Japanese army is still promoting that the navy and air force will come to help, it is just used to deceive the soldiers. The high-level commanders are very clear about the actual situation. They understand that the general situation is over and no one will come to rescue. What the frontline saw was that the soldiers were defeated like a mountain, and the combat effectiveness could not be fully supported by brainwashing and spiritual opium after all.

Jing Heng sent a message: "Tomorrow morning, gather all the remaining troops in this area and make a final attack. Let's end this battle." Hirakushi asked Itsuru and Saito if they would participate in tomorrow's final attack, and Nagumo, who had been reticent all this time, said respectfully, "The three of us committed suicide." Ping Kuan asked again, how will the civilians be dealt with.Saito replied: "There is no difference between soldiers and civilians. Instead of being captured, it is better to take up the bamboo spear and join the battle." According to Saito's dictation, the attack order was drawn up, and 300 copies were mimeographed, and they were going to be distributed overnight to the soldiers and civilians.Before the order was issued, the Naval Communications Office received a telegram from the base camp, requesting the Saipan defenders to continue fighting in order to gain time to wait for reinforcements.

The telegram immediately caused a quarrel among naval and military officers.The navy wanted to accept the order and give up the attack, but the army threw a blank stare: life is important, but someone else's face belongs to you. You are clearly cowardly, not to mention that the arrow has already left the string, and you can't take it back even if you want to. The navy hurriedly defended itself: "Now is not the time to swear, your army has violated the direct orders of the headquarters!" Nanyun, Jingheng, and Saito did not participate in this debate—as seen from the flat front, how can the Saipan defenders have the ability to continue fighting?The base camp really does not hurt your back when you stand and talk.

Saito sent a final telegram to Tokyo, complaining that they were on the verge of extinction because they could not get air support: "It is impossible to win a war without air supremacy, and I very much hope (you) build more planes." Even if more aircraft can be produced, it will be of no use to the current Saipan defenders.Saito said in the telegram on behalf of the three commanders: "We cannot do better, and for this we sincerely apologize to the Emperor." At dawn on July 6, Saito read aloud the death letter to all officers and soldiers of the army. He used the spirit of bushido and the unique Japanese philosophy of life to explain the significance of suicide attacks: "In death, there is its own life. We want to use this opportunity to fully develop the Japanese personality."

A good actor is going to die on the stage. This veteran who has always been indecisive in command operations is very excited at this time. He said: "I will stay and go forward with the remnants, give the American devils another blow, and then leave my bones. In Saipan, as the Great Wall on the Pacific Ocean." The statement of "going forward together" is only symbolic. As Nagumo said, the three supreme commanders of Saipan have decided to commit seppuku first. According to the prescribed ceremony, after saying goodbye to the staff, the three sat down cross-legged at the hole selected in advance, and received a small knife specially used for cutting belly.

Because the seppuku time was too long, in order to alleviate the pain, an officer stood behind each of the seppuku victims, blood flowed out, and the officer immediately shot at the temples of the three. At midnight, the remnants of the Japanese army who received the attack order gathered outside the cave one after another.Among these people, there are not only the army soldiers who retreated from the front line, but also the marines and sailors who fought on foot. Rifles, sabers, and even bamboo spears. Under the pale moonlight, the remnant soldiers began to advance along the high ground to the US positions around Tanapag Port.From the perspective of Hiragushi, who was marching with the team, the soldiers were like "sluggish sheep being driven to the slaughterhouse", and the officers were like "guides to the gates of hell".

Some of the messengers who delivered the order had been captured by the U.S. military at night, so the U.S. military knew in advance that the Japanese would launch a large-scale attack, but how and where they would attack were not detailed in the order. Holland Smith could only order heightened security, and similar warnings were given to the 27th Infantry Division on the Tanapag Line, asking them to pay attention: there would be "all-round shouting" on the coastline before dawn. Viva 'offensive".