Chapter 391 The casualties are still too few!
MacArthur's words naturally made Field Marshal Thomas Blamey somewhat annoyed.

If it weren't for the lack of veterans, the Australian army wouldn't be so passive.

If their veterans came back, would the Japanese army still be so rampant?

That's why Marshal Thomas Blamen said this.

It can be seen that Marshal Thomas Blamen is very angry.

And MacArthur also knew that he had said the wrong thing.

Before that, Australia was a member of the Commonwealth, and the British Empire was its sovereign.

The highest office in Australia is the Governor-General.

But now the decline of the British Empire is inevitable, so the Australian army is flirting with the US army again.

Originally, the relationship between the two sides was pretty good.

If nothing unexpected happens, the two countries will continue to cooperate until the end of the war, and Australia will even follow the lead of the United States in the future.

But now, because of the landing of the Japanese army, the US military refused to provide assistance, which caused a crack in the relationship between the two sides.

This made Marshal Thomas Bremen somewhat unhappy.

"Marshal, I believe you should know the importance of Guadalcanal." MacArthur took a deep breath. He felt that he should explain it clearly to the other party.

Who knows Marshal Thomas Bremen shook his head.

"General, I know the importance of Guadalcanal, but now the Japanese have landed in Australia. They have occupied a large amount of territory and even organized immigration to open up the land."

"You know what that means? They are prepared to stay in Australia permanently."

"We even received intelligence that the Japanese army seemed to be considering relocating all of their people to Australia."

“So, we are very anxious now.”

Who knew that MacArthur would just shake his head.

"Marshal, this is impossible."

"This is just a way for them to station troops to reduce logistical pressure."

After the disastrous defeat on Luzon Island, MacArthur made a special study of the Japanese army, so when he heard the words of Marshal Thomas Blamey, he thought that this was just the Japanese army imitating the model of the Kwantung Army.

It was absolutely impossible for the Japanese army to relocate everyone to Australia.

Apart from anything else, the amount of work involved is extremely large.

It is possible to immigrate hundreds of thousands of people, and the purpose is definitely to establish military settlements and provide supplies for the front-line troops.

Reduce the pressure of logistics, etc.

I have to say that MacArthur was quite capable and there was nothing wrong with his analysis.

But he forgot one thing, that is, the Japanese army held the resource map of Australia. The vast amount of minerals made the Japanese army extremely excited, and naturally the speed of immigration increased greatly.

In just one month, hundreds of thousands of immigrants arrived in Australia and began to farm and do other work under the arrangement of the military.

Not only that, the rate of subsequent immigration is still expanding.

Even some military factories were relocated.

All these signs indicate that the Japanese army was planning to live in Australia for a long time.

After hearing MacArthur's words, Marshal Thomas Blamey's face looked a little ugly.

"General, I hope the U.S. military can send two or three divisions to help us defend against the Japanese, who have now occupied one twentieth of our territory."

"If we continue like this, I'm afraid we will lose more territory."

Hearing this, MacArthur was silent for a while. It was not impossible to mobilize two or three divisions.

But he was very upset because he had not taken Guadalcanal.

"Marshal, I will consider this matter." MacArthur thought for a moment and said again.

"Hmph, General, I hope to get a reply as soon as possible, otherwise, I need to reconsider the relationship between the two parties." After saying this, Marshal Thomas Bremen turned around and left.

Hearing this, MacArthur stood in the command room with a gloomy face.

He clenched his fists, anger burning in his heart.

Damn it, how dare you talk to him like that.

However, due to the failure in the Guadalcanal battle, he did not have the confidence to turn against the other side.

If the attack on Guadalcanal had gone extremely smoothly, he would definitely be a famous general admired by everyone.

Unfortunately he is not.

MacArthur took a deep breath and looked around at everyone in the command center.

"What happened? We have powerful troops and equipment, but why didn't we take Guadalcanal? We let the Japanese army launch a counterattack? And we lost so many people?"

The staff officers lowered their heads and dared not speak.

Because they knew that MacArthur's anger was justified.

In the Battle of Guadalcanal, the U.S. military paid a heavy price but failed to achieve the expected victory.

The beachhead they occupied was only the size of a palm. If it were not for the powerful firepower of the sea and air, they would have lost the position in the Japanese night attack.

Looking at the silence of the staff, MacArthur knew that this had nothing to do with them.

The tenacity of the Japanese army was beyond his expectations.

Based on the content of the telegram, he could imagine how cruel and tragic the battlefield was.

The bodies of the soldiers piled up like mountains and their blood dyed the ground red.

These were just the contents of the telegram, but MacArthur knew that the real situation would be even more tragic.

Thinking of this, MacArthur took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Although the Japanese army's tenacious resistance put the US military in a difficult situation, there seemed to be problems with their own command.

"We must find out the reasons for our failure and redefine our strategy." MacArthur stopped and said with a firm look in his eyes.

"I will never let this defeat happen again."

"We must review the situation and find out why we haven't taken Guadalcanal yet."

"Yes." All the staff officers breathed a sigh of relief and then began to summarize the failure of the Guadalcanal campaign.

They carefully analyzed every link, from intelligence gathering to combat deployment, from soldier training to the use of weapons and equipment.

There is absolutely no problem with the latter, including the combat deployment.

Although there is a gap in the quality of individual soldiers on both sides, the US military has stronger firepower.

It can completely make up the gap between the two sides.

The only problem is that the intelligence is inaccurate.

This should be an important reason for the failure.

The Japanese military strength and deployment on Guadalcanal were far stronger than they had expected.

Previously they had speculated that it was Marshal Thomas Blamey who leaked the information, but judging from previous conversations, it was not him.

Originally there were only a few thousand Japanese troops on the island, but now there is a full division, the difference is several times.

In addition, there were problems with the coordination and cooperation of the US military in combat, and poor communication between the various units led to chaos in the battle.

When it comes to coordinated operations, we can only take it slow.

As long as you go through it a few more times, you will gain experience and naturally become an elite.

MacArthur was not worried about this.

The only concern now is intelligence, so in order to reverse the situation, MacArthur decided to strengthen intelligence work.

First, more reconnaissance planes were dispatched to closely monitor the movements of the Japanese army.

At the same time, he also began to conduct more rigorous training for soldiers to improve their combat qualities and coordinated combat capabilities.

In terms of strategic planning, MacArthur decided to adopt a more cautious approach.

He was no longer in a hurry to attack, but instead consolidated his defense and waited for the opportunity.

He believed that as long as they were fully prepared, they would be able to defeat the Japanese and retake Guadalcanal. At the same time, Lieutenant General Harukichi Momotake on the island looked at the casualties reported and could not help but sigh.

Almost an entire regiment was killed. Of course, the American casualties were greater, at least not less than 5,000, or even more.

But he couldn't help but worry about the island's defense, that is, the US military's naval and air forces are too powerful.

"It may not be that easy to defend Guadalcanal." Lieutenant General Haruyoshi Momotake murmured.

"Send a telegram to headquarters and tell them we need more reinforcements and request naval assistance."

Finally, Lieutenant General Haruyoshi Momotake decided to request reinforcements.

"Hi." The combat staff officer next to him responded quickly.

On the US side, after a period of adjustment and preparation, the morale of the US military gradually recovered.

The soldiers also became braver and stronger under rigorous training.

Weapons and equipment have also been further supplemented and improved.

In particular, the US military was also equipped with a number of bazookas, which gave them the means to fight back against the Japanese army's strong fortifications.

Looking at the brand new troops, MacArthur's heart was filled with confidence.

He knew that it was time to launch a counterattack against the Japanese army.

MacArthur then convened a military meeting and elaborated on his counterattack plan in detail.

This time, MacArthur learned his lesson and was no longer as foolish as before. He kept rushing forward.

It was decided to launch a tentative attack on the Japanese defense line first to understand their defensive deployment.

Then, based on the intelligence, a more precise combat plan was formulated to break through the Japanese defense line in one fell swoop.

It must be said that as the war progressed and the number of battles he commanded increased, MacArthur's command and combat experience also continued to increase.

It can be said that when MacArthur got serious, he did have some ability.

After all, to become a five-star general, one must have some skills.

All the staff officers nodded as they listened to MacArthur's plan.

At least this time the plan is much more reliable, and his eyes are full of anticipation.

The plan was approved, and the U.S. troops on the beachhead immediately began exploratory attacks on the Japanese defense line.

An entire company of American soldiers quietly approached the Japanese position under the cover of artillery fire.

They carefully observed the movements of the Japanese army, looking for the enemy's weaknesses.

"Damn it, these Japanese soldiers are hiding underground like rats. We can't find them at all."

"Let's send the flamethrowers to spray fire at those caves and burn these damn rats to death."

"Yes."

However, the Japanese army soon discovered the actions of the US army and immediately launched a fierce counterattack.

Bullets rained down and shells exploded around the American troops.

However, the American soldiers did not retreat. They stubbornly held their positions and fought a desperate battle with the Japanese army.

"Damn it, they set up a lot of bunkers and even dug out the entire underground."

"Call for artillery support, these obstacles must be destroyed." The commander of Company A shouted loudly.

"Yes."

Before long, the Japanese army once again witnessed the powerful artillery support capabilities of the US military.

boom!
boom!
boom!
A large number of artillery shells fell on the Japanese fortifications, and fighter planes dropped bombs from the sky from time to time.

For a time, the Japanese positions were covered by heavy artillery fire.

Fortunately, the Japanese army took advantage of the intervals between artillery fire and adopted flexible tactics, launching continuous counterattacks and sneak attacks.

The American military staff responsible for observing the war immediately reported the collected intelligence to MacArthur.

After reading it, MacArthur frowned slightly. These damn rats are so difficult to deal with.

Based on the intelligence collected, MacArthur adjusted the offensive plan again.

After the adjustments, the cooperation between the various US military forces has become increasingly close.

The Japanese defense began to have problems.

At this time, the U.S. military also began to counterattack, and the Japanese defense line launched a front counterattack.

The American artillery fire roared like thunder, and the shells streaked across the sky like meteors and landed on the Japanese positions.

The Japanese bunkers and obstacles were destroyed one after another under the attack of artillery fire, and a gap appeared in the defense line.

The American soldiers shouted slogans and marched forward bravely.

They rushed towards the Japanese positions like a tide and engaged in fierce close combat with the enemy.

The bayonet flashed coldly in the sunlight, and the blood dyed the earth red.

The Japanese army was not to be outdone and they stubbornly resisted the U.S. attack.

The two sides engaged in a fierce tug-of-war on the battlefield, and the battle was extremely brutal.

MacArthur stood in the command post, watching the situation on the battlefield with a nervous expression.

At the same time, he constantly adjusted his combat deployment and commanded his troops to attack the vital parts of the Japanese army.

In the fierce battle, the US military gradually gained the upper hand.

Relying on their powerful firepower, they gradually compressed the Japanese defense line.

Finally, the Japanese army began to show signs of defeat.

Their manpower and ammunition were gradually exhausted and they were unable to resist the US attack.

Some Japanese soldiers began to surrender, while others chose to commit suicide.

Seeing this, MacArthur knew that the dawn of victory was approaching.

Therefore, he ordered his troops to speed up the offensive and never give the Japanese army a chance to breathe.

"Increase the intensity of the attack and make sure to capture Guadalcanal as quickly as possible." At this time, MacArthur no longer cared about the number of casualties. He had only one request, to capture Guadalcanal as soon as possible.

"Prepare to retreat." At the same time, Lieutenant General Haruyoshi Momotake also realized that Guadalcanal would no longer be able to be defended, so he decided to retreat.

In this Battle of Guadalcanal, the US military lost more than 20,000 people. This refers to deaths, not injuries.

Including the injured, the number exceeded 30,000.

There are more than 20,000 more people than on Guadalcanal at the same time.

This is still in the face of powerful firepower.

If it weren't for the powerful firepower, the casualties would probably be even greater.

When the news reached Cun Yunsheng's ears, he couldn't help but feel emotional.

It was thanks to the message I delivered, otherwise, how could the US military suffer such heavy casualties?
Unfortunately, there are still too few.

It would be nice if there were several times more.

He originally thought that the US military would lose at least 50,000 people this time, but who knew that it would only be more than 30,000.

Although it's a little worse, it's not important.

Because there will be other island battles to come.

This time is different from the previous times, that is, the Japanese troops in Australia exceed 300,000, and are still increasing.

Not only that, there are hundreds of thousands of immigrants.

In other words, if the US military wants to implement the leapfrog strategy, it cannot bypass Australia.

Unless they completely ignore Australia and choose to change their home country, the Australian military should be the first to disagree.

In addition to these, the main forces of the Japanese Combined Fleet were all concentrated in the Western Pacific, and it was completely unrealistic for the US military to bypass them.

(End of this chapter)