Chapter 97 finishing touch

The U.S. military also listened to "Tokyo Rose". While Halsey was worried about the eyes and IQ of the Japanese, he immediately thought that he should do what he liked, and give the delusional patient in front of him a little more dose.He sent a fake telegram to Pearl Harbor: "Third Fleet has recovered the sunk and damaged ships and is retreating." At the same time, Halsey temporarily withdrew most of the ships of the 38th Task Force from the waters near the island of Taiwan. They meandered behind the fleet. It can be said that Japan is seriously ill from top to bottom. Combined Fleet Commander Toyota happened to be inspecting Taiwan Island, and he actually thought that Halsey was fleeing in despair.After making the judgment that "the enemy has been damaged, now is a good time to attack", Toyota sent all the preserved carrier-based aircraft to support the land-based troops, and sent a fleet composed of cruisers and destroyers from the The Japanese mainland went south "to wipe out the remnants of the enemy."

"Tokyo Rose" quickly continued to clamor, claiming that the U.S. fleet was almost wiped out, and that Japanese warships and planes were taking advantage of the victory to hunt down these remnants of the enemy who were flying around like headless chickens.Nimitz, who was far away in Pearl Harbor, was afraid that this kind of exaggerated broadcast would shake the morale of the army, so he specially showed another telegram from Halsey to the high-level internal staff that was true and very humorous: "The Third Fleet was injured. The vessel has been repaired and is retreating at high speed towards the enemy."

Seeing that the prey was about to be caught with a cover, at the critical moment, the Japanese long-range reconnaissance plane finally discovered the 38th Task Force. The pilot identified it for a long time, but did not see any obvious signs of injury to any of the aircraft carriers. The intelligence sent back by the reconnaissance plane poured cold water on Toyota and the Japanese government: it turns out that happiness is such an unreliable elf, and the unprecedented vacation was for nothing. Toyota hastily withdrew its fleet back to the Ryukyu Islands southwest of Japan.Seeing that the opponent did not take the bait, Halsey was very disappointed, but it was a done deal, so he had no choice but to lead the 38th Task Force to the predetermined sea area near Wright Island in order to provide direct support for the landing operation.

On October 16, MacArthur left Jayapura aboard Kinkade's flagship cruiser "Nashville".When he bid farewell to his wife in Brisbane, he left only five words: "I'm not coming back!" The wife understood her husband's feelings very well, so she sent a message: "When you think it's time for me to return to Manila, send someone to pick me up immediately." Standing on the deck, MacArthur looked as far as the eye could see. There were so many ships around the "Nashville" that the shadows of the ships were all around.These ships that are advancing through the waves skillfully execute evasive tactics, showing their sides for a while, and the stern for a while, very majestic and majestic.

In the Battle of Wright, the Third Fleet was actually dismantled, and all its amphibious combat forces were seconded to the Seventh Fleet. Halsey could only directly command the 38th Task Force. It has reached more than 700 ships, and it is indeed the largest fleet in the world in history. Its scale and momentum are comparable to those of the Allied Forces that landed in Normandy four months ago. It seems that only such a magnificent scene is enough to reflect the majestic spirit of MacArthur's return to the Philippines.In the 31 months since he fled the Philippines, in order to fulfill his promise, this old soldier has been fighting against difficulties and fighting against fate all the time, and now he only has to finish the job.

Standing among thousands of flags and flags, people can more deeply understand what is boiling blood, what is surging passion, and what is a wonderful and joyful life.Regrettably, there are still many people who have not been able to wait for this moment, such as MacArthur's old friend and the first president of the Philippines, Quezon.His successor was Vice President Osmina, who joined the march as the Philippines' new president. On October 17, the 16th Division stationed on Wright Island discovered that the U.S. military was clearing mines at the outlet of Wright Bay and occupied some small islands around Wright Bay, so it quickly sent an urgent message to Tokyo.

The Japanese base camp finally knew exactly which direction the US military was going to attack from. In the combat plan of "Jie 1", it was initially decided that the navy would deal with the US military on Wright Island, but it is still unclear how many troops the navy will dispatch.The General Staff Headquarters consulted the Navy on this, and the commander of the United Fleet, Toyota, made a surprising statement. He said that he would gather all the ships under his command and go to Wright Gulf to fight the US military. Army generals immediately became worried.Although they had fought with the navy for this one, they were clear about the stakes: there were not many remaining ships in the combined fleet, and they were the last bit of military capital of the Japanese army. His strength is gone.

Satou Xian looked sad, and he said in a choked voice: "The combined fleet not only belongs to the navy, but also belongs to the country. Only the existence of the fleet can prevent the enemy from acting rashly. So, everyone, please be careful." Toyota, on the other hand, was arrogant and arrogant. He repeatedly emphasized that it is absolutely necessary to make a desperate gamble, because this is "the last chance to destroy the enemy with great material power."He also pointed out that if the "Operation Jetyo" fails and the US military completely occupies the Philippines, Japan's route to the south will be completely cut off. Even if the combined fleet does not launch a single ship in the "Operation Jetyo", it will be tantamount to self-destruction— Either go back to the Sea of ​​Japan or stay in the South China Sea. The former will run out of fuel, and the latter will not be supplied with weapons and ammunition.

"What's the point of saving the fleet at the expense of the Philippines?" Toyota asked rhetorically. Everyone is still weighing Toyota's words, and Lieutenant General Yu Nakazawa, the main designer of "Jie 1" and the chief of operations of the Navy Command Department, can no longer sit still. For the plan that was finally concocted, the navy could only play a supporting role, but the army was the protagonist, and Nakazawa was so anxious that his intestines crawled out of his stomach.In a tearful plea, he demanded that the Combined Fleet be given a chance to either win the decisive battle at sea or bloom "like the flower of death."

As Nakazawa burst into tears and snot, no one raised any objections, and the scale of operations of "Jie 1" was upgraded at the speed of light.In the afternoon of the same day, with the approval of the Emperor, the General Staff Headquarters and the Navy Headquarters simultaneously used radio codes to officially issue the "Jai 1" combat order to their respective subordinate troops. Although the order was issued, Yamashita's specific combat plan remained blank in terms of the army. On the one hand, Muto had not arrived, and on the other hand, Yamashita never expected MacArthur to come so soon.

On the evening of October 19, the Seventh Fleet arrived at Wright Bay. With the arrival of the fleet, countless buildings seemed to be erected in Wright Bay at once. It was a moonless midnight, with the gloomy sea below and the dark sky above, everyone seemed to be wrapped in an invisible cloak. In a few hours, the battle will start. Few of the soldiers lying in the sweltering cabin can sleep peacefully. Some of them lie in the hammock silently counting the time, and some slip quietly to the deck to breathe fresh air. The radio began to play on the warship, which was the sound of Protestant and Catholic prayers, but many people felt that they were attending their own funeral in advance.In this situation, even Air Force Commander Kenny felt a little uncomfortable: "I really wish I was on the plane, not on the ship." MacArthur has been standing on the deck looking at the outlines of the surrounding ships, until late at night, he did not return to the cabin. Wright Island is located in the hinterland of the Philippines, at the center of the Japanese military airport screen.Relying on his extremely rich military experience and military knowledge, MacArthur has long realized that among the military operations he commanded and planned, the Wright landing battle will be the most daring, difficult and complicated one. It is no different from Yamashita's plan in one word. MacArthur has really strived for excellence in the combat plan. He told his assistants that every detail in the plan must be repeatedly considered-once Wright Island is captured, it will determine the course of the Philippine Islands and even the war against Japan. Destiny, any heart and brain power spent on this is not superfluous. Even so, MacArthur was as uneasy as ordinary soldiers.He picked up the "Bible", recited those familiar passages silently again, and prayed in his heart: "Merciful God, may everyone here be safe in the morning!"