nycdaug Chapter 226 Rescue Operation
Chapter 226 Rescue Operation
Nimitz had a headache and kept cursing the Japanese and the damned MacArthur in his heart. However, he still had to come up with a reliable solution as soon as possible to solve the problem.
He glanced at his men, his gaze still fixed on Lieutenant General W. Kruger. He suppressed his inner urge and asked humbly, "General Kruger, how many troops does the 6th Army still have on Leyte?"
W. Kruger replied after a brief mental calculation: "Not counting the besieged 8th Division, there are still about 10 troops from the 24th and 3th Armies in the Tacloban and Dulag landing areas."
Nimitz was puzzled. As far as he knew, the Japanese army only had one 1th Division and some auxiliary troops on Leyte Island, with a maximum of 16 people. The US military had overwhelming air superiority. Why couldn't the US Army break through the Japanese blockade and rescue the besieged troops?
Seeing Nimitz's puzzled look, Kruger quickly explained: "Our army is confined to a limited area. The Japanese occupy advantageous terrain and have a large number of fortifications. The sea support supplies are insufficient, and we are unable to break through the Japanese positions."
Chief of Staff Richard Sutherland immediately asked the staff behind him to spread a wartime map on the conference table. Everyone gathered in front of the map, and Kruger introduced it while explaining the current predicament of the 6th Army.
Nimitz and other American generals frowned as they listened to Kruger's introduction, afraid to speak out for fear of getting dragged into it. Since Commander-in-Chief Zheng Dongguo had returned to the flower garden for a meeting, Liao Yaoxiang and Yang Hong had reached a tacit agreement not to intervene unless absolutely necessary.
However, Nimitz had already planned to dispatch the Chinese Expeditionary Force, and he clearly wasn't going to just let them be spectators. He glanced at Liao and Yang, who were hiding behind a group of high-ranking American military officials, and a plan came to mind. He addressed them directly, "General Liao, General Yang, I'd like to hear your opinions."
Seeing the American general in front of them make way for them, the two men knew that what was coming was coming. They could not avoid it, so they calmly approached the table and carefully examined the map. Kruger and Sutherland immediately understood Nimitz's intention and once again acted as interpreters, patiently explaining the current battle situation to the two men.
Liao and Yang frowned. How could such a well-planned battle plan end up like this? They knew they had joined the Pacific Theater to shed blood, but this blood had to be worthwhile, so that the sacrifices of the flower-growing families would have meaning. Faced with this rotten war situation, their minds raced, trying to find a solution.
The two exchanged glances, each reading the same meaning in the other's eyes. Yang Hong spoke first, asking softly, "General Kruger, are you sure there are only 16th Divisions of Japanese troops on the island?"
Yang Hong's question stumped all the American generals present. Thinking back, they realized that the 6th Army's initial landing force on Leyte Island had already reached over 5 men. The Japanese 16th Division and its auxiliary forces, with their sheer inferiority in numbers and firepower, could not possibly achieve their goal of counterattacking and encircling the US forces.
Liao also pointed to Samar Island, which borders Leyte, and said, "The narrowest part of the Samar Strait is only a little over two kilometers. The Japanese are good at night operations. The Japanese troops stationed on Samar Island must have already entered Leyte. Why don't we find another way and attack Samar Island, take it in one fell swoop, and open up a channel to attack the Philippine mainland (Luzon Island)?"
Admiral Spruance was startled and quickly began to think. Organizing a second landing operation, attacking Samar, would clearly be easier for the Navy than Leyte. Samar was much larger than Leyte, with a much wider expanse of offshore waters, making it much easier to find a landing site and defend against Japanese submarines and suicide planes. The island was also far less developed than Leyte, so simply landing on the island would greatly simplify the expansion of the Chinese and American occupation. Once the island was stabilized, opening a simple airfield as soon as possible and allowing Army aviation to enter would have a decisive impact on the overall situation.
Spruance wholeheartedly supported the Samar landing, but it would not resolve the dilemma facing the besieged troops on Leyte. No one in the US military dared to propose abandoning the rescue operation. The US military already knew the plight of the surrendered and captured soldiers during the First Philippine Campaign. Abandoning these 7000 besieged troops would surely lead to a disastrous end. If the truth were exposed, none of these senior US military officials would escape domestic sanctions.
Yang Hong seemed to understand everyone's thoughts and calmly said to Nimitz, "Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, the 1st Army has trained an assault force in New Guinea recently. I'm not sure if the 5th Air Force has the ability to airdrop them into the besieged American area at night."
Nimitz was stunned, then immediately understood Yang Hong's purpose. He knew that Yang was aware of the US military's transport capabilities, and his proposal clearly showed that he had a plan in mind. However, he was not aware of the size and combat effectiveness of the Chinese airborne troops, who had only recently been trained. He couldn't let the Chinese army die in vain, which would have no effect on the war situation.
Nimitz asked, "How many people are there? Are you sure?"
Yang Hong answered directly: "A regiment of 3000 people, we can take control. I trust them. As the flower growers say, life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by God!"
The commander of the 5th Air Force also smiled, nodded to Nimitz, and added: "Mr. Admiral, I am very clear about the capabilities of Yang's commando team. Leave this matter to me, but I need air cover!"
Without Nimitz's reply, Spruance took over and said, "The naval aviation is at your command at any time."
Seeing that the rescue plan had been solved, Nimitz thought for a moment and added, "Kruger, the troops on Leyte Island must also launch an assault at the same time."
W. Kruger nodded cautiously, giving General Yang Hong a look of gratitude. Just as Nimitz was about to instruct Spruance and Richard Sutherland to quickly formulate a plan for the Samar landing, Yang Hong spoke again, "General Nimitz, I think our airdrop rescue operation should proceed simultaneously with the landing on Samar."
As everyone was surprised, Liao Yaoxiang took over the topic and said, "The 5th and 113nd Divisions that came from Saipan with the 22th Fleet are ready to participate in the landing operation at any time. I think General Kruger's troops stranded at sea don't want to continue to be tossed around at sea. How about it, General Kruger, let's do something together?"
MacArthur then said, "Without adequate naval and air preparations, how can we succeed?"
Yang Hong smiled and said, "Wars are never won by direct and honest fighting. They rely on opportunity and decisive action. Taking the enemy by surprise and attacking them when they are unprepared is the key to victory."
Nimitz suddenly realized, yes! The Japanese often do this, why don't we do the same? These Orientals are not simple!