Chapter 81 Chapter Nine Attack on Hell

MacArthur's eyes almost burst into flames.The so-called "cook your own porridge first, and don't rush to break other people's bowls", before the Battle of the Mariana Islands, it was true that he moved Nimitz's cheese first, but this time it was reversed, and it was clearly a "small group" Came here to grab his old Mai’s job——The Philippine Islands belong to the Southwest Pacific Theater, and Taiwan Island of China belongs to the Central Pacific Theater. Taking Taiwan Island of China as the main target, isn’t it just to make him hand over his soldiers and horses? By Nimitz To take full command?

Want to have exclusive access to the honor of victory in the Pacific War?dream! Ginger said that the cost of attacking the Philippines is high, and MacArthur retorted that the cost of attacking Taiwan Island of China may be even higher, because the defense of Taiwan Island of China, like Rabaul, can be described as impenetrable, "This bite is too big, and it is too big." Soon". Ginger accused MacArthur of picking up the cliché of island-by-island attack, while MacArthur believed that the "Smooth Gunner" plan just adhered to the principle of "leapfrog tactics"-"leapfrog" can not jump everything, and the Philippine Islands have a large number of air forces The base, if you have to go around here, it will be like sticking a sharp knife in the back of the Allies.

Marshall also came prepared.He told MacArthur that according to the information he had, Japan was vigorously strengthening the defense of the Philippine Islands. When the Allied forces attacked the Philippines, they would find that what they were attacking was not the original target. The task was arduous and self-evident. Marshall no longer concealed another meaning, that is, after the start of the Mariana Islands campaign, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recognized the strength of the U.S. Navy, and most people believed that it should be Nimitz who directly confronted the Japanese army, and Not MacArthur.

In terms of maritime power, MacArthur really cannot be compared with Nimitz. The "snobbish" Marshall completely moved his ass to the Navy.In the past, MacArthur used to embarrass Marshall by throwing picks, but now this method is no longer effective. Marshall made it very clear, "The powerful Pacific Fleet, together with its thousands of aircraft, will continue to fight." , which means that it doesn’t matter if you take a break, anyway, Nimitz can afford it. I can't fight my strength, so I have to be more sensational.MacArthur said to Marshall: "If the United States deliberately bypasses the Philippines, it is tantamount to abandoning the Filipinos. We will undoubtedly incur the hostility of this nation, and we may even lose prestige among all the nations in the Far East, which will have an adverse effect on the United States for many years to come. ..."

MacArthur's surging passion and eloquence may easily impress his subordinates and the American public, but it has no effect on the stone-like chief of army staff.Marshall cut off his eloquent speech bluntly: "General, we must be careful not to allow our personal feelings and political considerations for the Philippines to undermine our lofty goals." The lofty goal that Marshall said was to end the war with Japan as soon as possible.In the face of this lofty goal, recapturing the Philippine Islands is "just a matter of time", and "bypassing" does not mean "abandoning".

Seeing that Marshall was unmoved, and what he said was meaningful, MacArthur became anxious.He stood up, paced back and forth a few times, then stopped in front of Marshall and said excitedly: "If the Joint Chiefs of Staff cannot make a correct judgment on this, I will go to Washington in person to meet President Roosevelt!" The angry and anxious MacArthur also predicted Ginger's marching plan, which was "totally wrong" militarily, and "I don't think this campaign will be successful." After sending out the "curse", he told Marshall that once the "Presbyterian Council" decides to choose the Ginger plan, he will resign and quit!

Grinding half of his tongue, it didn't work, but it made MacArthur jump up, and Marshall also felt very helpless.When he got up to leave, he left a message for MacArthur: "If the general wants to go to Washington to make a detailed statement to the president, that's fine. I will report the matter to the president, and I think he will agree to your return for this purpose." When Marshall left, MacArthur was left with a gloomy state of despair.This arrogant and surly soldier in front of outsiders actually has an extremely fragile side deep in his heart, and the military plan to bypass the Philippines just hit this side like a bullet.

Marshall seemed to have completely turned to the navy, and the "Presbyterian Church" could not handle it. In the entire army system, he was the only one who insisted that returning to the Philippines was necessary. To overturn the decision of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, only Roosevelt can do it, but MacArthur kept saying "see the king's face" is just a life-saving straw in desperation-who knows what Roosevelt's attitude will be, he can completely Make excuses and refuse to meet to avoid this vortex of right and wrong. It seemed that the only way left was to resign, and MacArthur was in an extremely bad mood.During that time, he often walked alone on the beach alone, while silently smoking his signature big pipe, while looking at the blue sea, no one knew what he was thinking.Is it the ruins of Manila, the thirsty eyes of the Filipinos, or the skinny former subordinates in the prisoner-of-war camp?

MacArthur often stayed at the beach for half a day.At this time, his wife would silently walk to his side, holding his arm and going back to the house together. The depression caused MacArthur's straight waist to bend a little. He really couldn't accept the fact that as a hunter, he lost the right to shoot when he saw the prey hit the muzzle. Just when MacArthur was disheartened, Marshall suddenly sent a telegram asking him to attend talks at Pearl Harbor.