Beiyang reactionaries

Roosevelt thought a lot.

The first is to hope to defeat the Japanese army as soon as possible, so I am preparing to cooperate with the United Kingdom to defeat the Japanese army.The second is to prepare to deploy troops around China so that we can negotiate with China in the future.Therefore, it is very supportive of the India-Myanmar battlefield, and a large number of aviation troops are dispatched to the India-Myanmar battlefield.The result is that the United States firmly controls the air supremacy of the India-Myanmar battlefield.

The Japanese Army, the British Indian Army, and the British Far East Army took turns fighting in Dhaka, and neither side could do anything to the other.The British Far East Army and the British Indian Army are really no match for the Japanese army in terms of combat effectiveness.In other words, in terms of fighting will, it is far inferior to the Japanese army.However, the British Far East Army and the British Indian Army have more troops than the Japanese army, and their equipment is not inferior to that of the Japanese army, so they can withstand the Japanese attack.Of course, the biggest advantage of the British army is that it has mastered the air supremacy and completely cut off the Japanese army's logistics.As a result, the Japanese army had insufficient rations and directly robbed the food of Dhaka and the surrounding people.

As a result, the reputation of Chandra Bose, the leader of the national liberation movement supported by many young people in India, has been greatly affected, and it has also affected the image of the Interim Government of Free India and the Indian National Army he established.

After persisting for a month or so, the Japanese army lacking logistics could only withdraw from Dhaka and retreat to Imphal.

The Japanese army in Imphal withstood for a while.Because the cities of Imphal, Kohima, and Dimapur are the rear of the British and Indian troops, a large amount of British and Indian military logistics materials are piled up here.The Japanese army launched the Battle of Imphal, quickly captured these cities, and seized a large amount of logistics supplies of the British and Indian troops.Therefore, although the U.S. Army Air Force has mastered the air and destroyed the Japanese logistics, it is still able to hold on.

But the overall situation is still not good.

The main reason is that there are too many diseases.Infectious diseases such as malaria, dysentery, and influenza caused a lot of non-combat casualties in the Japanese army.Of course, there is no good news for Japan.The British and Indian troops who had been entrenched in Myitkyina were finally defeated by the Japanese army, and a large number of defeated soldiers fled into China.Japan finally won the Burma War and completely controlled Burma.

After solving the British and Indian troops in Burma, the Japanese army will have more forces to attack India.Japan has begun to deploy a large number of aviation divisions, preparing to regain air supremacy and support the Japanese troops in Imphal.

"Prime Minister, Johnston Island is lost."

For Japan, the biggest headache at present is the Pacific battlefield.

Although Japan blew up the Panama Canal at the beginning of the year, the United States responded very quickly.Immediately invested heavily in the construction of the Hawaiian Islands, turning a large number of uninhabited islands here into military bases.This approach of the United States is to use their strong economic strength and industrial strength to compete with Japan.

In fact, this approach in the United States has wasted a lot of money, and it is a helpless method.If it weren't for the extremely unfavorable situation in the Pacific battlefield, the United States would not choose such an extreme approach.In less than a year, nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars have been poured into the Hawaiian Islands, which is also very stressful for a powerful country like the United States.However, with so much money invested, the United States abruptly built a large military fortress to slowly seize air supremacy.

After the Panama Canal was repaired, a large number of warships began to supplement the Pacific Fleet.

After entering the end of 1942, the US offensive became stronger and stronger.The United States and Japan fought a war around Johnston Island.Both sides invested a large number of naval forces, as well as a large number of air forces to participate in the war.

"lost?"

"Yes."

"How's it going?"

745

"How's it going?"

"We lost 4 aircraft carriers, 3 light carriers, 7 escort carriers, 3 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 17 destroyers, 13 submarines. There are 2 more aircraft carriers, 3 escort carriers , 2 battleships, and 1 heavy cruiser were severely damaged, and they have been pulled back to the Marshall Islands for repairs. The naval aviation side lost 1167 planes, and the army aviation side lost 189 planes. About 6.7 casualties, including those killed More than 4.5 people. The naval aviation side lost almost all the participating aircraft."

Shimada Shintaro reported very frustrated.

Since the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Battle of Johnston Island was the most costly battle for the Japanese Navy.After the Japanese navy suffered heavy casualties in the first battle of Midway Island, the Japanese army in the Pacific has been fighting against the United States, even pressing the US Pacific Fleet to the ground.

But this time around the war on Johnston Island, the Japanese army once again suffered huge casualties.

Scared?

There is.What Shimodaro Shimada worries about is that the United States is like an invincible Xiaoqiang. No matter how much it attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, no matter how many U.S. warships are destroyed, the U.S. can still produce batches and then replenish the Pacific Fleet.Although many of Japan's top leaders are fanatical militarists, it doesn't mean that they are all lunatics who don't understand anything.

Before going to war with the United States, Japanese senior officials already knew the strong industrial strength of the United States.Therefore, neither Hideki Tojo nor other senior officials in Japan have ever thought of fighting a protracted war with the United States.Their original plan was to severely damage the US military and force the US to the negotiating table.It's a pity that the United States did not follow Japan's baton. No matter how much the loss was, the United States persisted.Moreover, the advantages of American industrial strength are becoming more and more obvious.

This outbreak of the Johnston Island naval battle can be seen.

The United States dispatched 8 aircraft carriers, 7 light aircraft carriers, 19 escort aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 11 heavy cruisers, 10 light cruisers, more than 80 destroyers, and 110 submarines at one time.The U.S. Pacific Fleet was held on the ground by the Japanese for so long and sank so many warships, but the U.S. Pacific Fleet was still able to dispatch warships of this size.

It was the largest naval battle of World War II.

Japan has concentrated its main naval force, and the United States has also concentrated the main force of the Pacific Fleet.The two sides fought a decisive battle in hundreds of kilometers of sea area.The final result was that Japan lost Johnston Island, and the naval forces suffered heavy casualties.

"What about America?"

"We don't have the specific data, but their losses should not be small. According to the report of the frontline troops, three aircraft carriers on the US side were sunk, and two aircraft carriers were attacked intensively by us. Even if they were not sunk, they would be destroyed." In addition, it also sank 3 light aircraft carriers, 2 escort aircraft carriers, and 4 heavy cruisers, and the other battlefields were too chaotic to fully count.”

Hideki Tojo didn't fly into a rage, but sighed softly.

Although the Japanese navy suffered heavy losses in this naval battle, it was not at the end of its rope.On the current Pacific battlefield, Japan still has the advantage.The main Pacific islands are still in Japanese hands.

But the most powerful thing about the United States is that it can continuously replenish the Pacific Fleet.

Hideki Tojo is currently considering what the United States will do next.The United States launched the Johnston Island naval battle this time to destroy the Japanese military base on Johnston Island.It was precisely because Japan controlled Johnston Island that it attacked Pearl Harbor several times.Moreover, the Pearl Harbor naval battle was launched several times, and the US Pacific Fleet was beaten again and again.

Now that the United States has captured Johnston Island, the next step is definitely to continue to reverse the current unfavorable situation.

"Midway Island, the next step for the United States is to take Midway Island."

Hideki Tojo's eyes came to Midway Island and pointed to Midway Island.

"Prime Minister, the Department of the Navy also analyzed it in the same way. When the United States was building the Hawaiian Islands, we used Midway Island to attack American military bases many times, directly threatening the deployment of the United States in the Hawaiian Islands. I think the next target of the United States should be Midway Island."

Shintaro Shimada nodded in support of Hideki Tojo's analysis.

The United States wants to build the Hawaiian Islands, how could Japan watch them build a military base.In order to prevent the United States from building the Hawaiian Islands, Japan launched many air strikes.

Among them, Midway Island is the most frequent.

When the United States built an airport, Japan bombed it.For safety, a large number of anti-aircraft artillery units of the United States are deployed in those areas.As well as those naval aviation units and army aviation units headed by Pearl Harbor, they will all participate in protection.

But even so, the Japanese army was a powerful blow to the US strategy of building the Hawaiian Islands.It is precisely because of the interference of the Japanese army that the funds invested by the United States in Hawaii will continue to rise.Because in the process of building the Hawaiian Islands, the United States also suffered great losses.If it weren't for this, how could the United States have invested 200 billion US dollars in the Hawaiian Islands in less than a year.Half of these funds were lost due to bombing by Japan.

Including those transport ships.

Taking advantage of the unnavigable opportunity of the Panama Canal, Japan sent a large number of submarines to lurk on the transportation route and attack those transport ships.Although the United States dispatched a large number of destroyers and escort destroyers in order to protect the transportation lines, the losses were still great.Now that the U.S. military has captured Johnston Island and cut off a forward position of the Japanese army, the next step must be to solve Midway Island.

"In addition to Midway, Christmas Island should also be an important target."

Shigetaro Shimada pointed to Christmas Island.

Midway Island, Wake Island, Johnston Island, and Christmas Island are all important places where the Japanese army besieged the Hawaiian Islands, and Japan has built military bases here.It is also the place where the Japanese submarine force received supplements after completing their missions.

"Ah."

Hideki Tojo frowned and asked, "Can you keep it?"

"Prime Minister, it is more difficult. This time the naval casualties are too large, and it must be repaired for a period of time. Those seriously injured warships must be repaired as soon as possible. Without the help of the main navy, it will not be easy to defend these islands."

"If you can't keep it, you have to keep it."

Hideki Tojo thought for a while and gave the order.

"Since the navy needs time, these places must be guarded to buy time for our navy. Let the Americans see how powerful our Imperial Japanese Army is."

"Yes."

Shigetaro Shimada knew that with this order, the troops here must be prepared to be broken.However, Shintaro Shimada didn't think there was any problem with this order.Since it is the Imperial Army of Japan, we must be prepared to sacrifice our lives for His Majesty the Emperor.

"Prime Minister, I have carefully studied the situation of this naval battle. Compared with the United States, we have a huge weakness."