July 1935, Homestead, southern Florida Peninsula, USA. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"Stand upright!"

On the docks, which had been dilapidated by the continuous bombardment, two groups of American soldiers stood upright with their rifle butts, and not far from them, a small convoy was speeding with a large cloud of dust.

"I heard that the 'Runaway General' is coming!" A younger American soldier whispered to his companion.

"What is he doing here?" Another U.S. soldier had a clear look of disdain on his face. In the U.S. military, some people call MacArthur a "wise general" because he has a very high IQ, and he served as chief of staff of the U.S. Army at the age of 45, making great contributions to the large-scale expansion of the U.S. military in the early 30s, but some people also call him a "runaway general" because he abandoned his soldiers and evacuated the front line at critical moments twice during the period when he led his troops to the Philippines and Australia.

The soldier in front of him did not have any expression change on his face, and even his gaze did not move, but his lips trembled slightly:

"I don't know! I wish he just came to inspect and left! ”

"Well, let's hope the enemy bombers don't come today, or we'll be in trouble!" The American soldier next to him wanted to look back at the sea, but seeing that the officer was a few paces away from him, he had to give up the uneasy attempt.

"Salute!"

By the time the command sounded again, the convoy had reached the dock and finally stopped between the two groups of soldiers.

Stepping out of a GM off-road vehicle in the center of the convoy was the "runaway general" that the American soldiers talked about -- Douglas MacArthur.

Dressed in a summer army uniform, MacArthur graciously saluted the soldiers in the procession and began his second visit to Homestead since taking office, his last visit to Homestead six months earlier, after which he focused on strengthening the defenses of the southern Florida Peninsula.

"This, this, and this, it used to be the main berth in Holmstead, which could accommodate 10,000-ton cargo ships and warships, and several air strikes destroyed their docks last week, and if it goes well, the restoration will be completed in three months!"

MacArthur frowned and looked at Colonel Lake, who was in charge of briefing the situation: "Three months? If it goes well? Is this your efficiency? ”

"It would have been done in three weeks in normal times, but as you know, most of the transportation facilities on the Florida Peninsula have been destroyed by enemy bombardment, and we can only transport limited supplies by road at night." Colonel Lake began to sweat.

MacArthur stopped at the edge of the dock and looked at the sea in the distance, "Will Allied planes still bomb today?" ”

"This ......," Colonel Lake glanced at MacArthur's side face worriedly, "General, we haven't got the exact information yet......"

"Intelligence? What information can you have? MacArthur reprimanded mercilessly: "The enemy bombardment is usually very regular, once a day, once every two days, or once every three days, as long as the weather permits!" ”

Without waiting for Colonel Lake to reply, MacArthur pointed to the sea in the distance, "It's a good day for bombing, isn't it?" ”

"Yes, General!" Colonel Lake said in passing, but seeing that MacArthur's eyes were not good, he changed his words in a panic: "We are ready to deal with the enemy's air attack, please rest assured." ”

"Rest assured?" MacArthur gave him a disdainful look, "Can you reassure me about the defensive deployment here?" ”

Poor Colonel Lake was speechless, and he could not help worrying about his future. Killing chickens and making an example of monkeys is MacArthur's usual method of rectification and deployment, and it is also a well-known thing in the US military. Before him, whether it was a lieutenant or a colonel, there was basically no good end for angering the general because of official duties or other things, especially a middle-ranking officer like him who had no backing, and there was no possibility of escaping punishment.

However, to Colonel Lake's surprise, MacArthur did not punish him next, but silently walked north along the docks. Although Holmstead is not as international as New York, its excellent natural conditions and acquired construction have made it gradually become an important port in the southern United States. In peacetime, there is a constant flow of ships coming and going, and the city is quite prosperous in commerce.

However, the smoke of war has made the situation in this bustling port more and more serious, first of all, the shark-like Allied ships and the powerful mines that have made the western Atlantic route dangerous, and the sinking of American and British ships and neutral ships in these waters, and the number of cargo ships entering and leaving Holmstead has been greatly reduced. If this situation has deactivated the port of Homestead, then the fierce and sustained air raids have wiped it off the map. Soon after occupying the islands of the Bahamas, the Allied Air Force launched a fierce air raid on the Florida Peninsula, their first bombardment caused huge direct damage to the dock area of Homestead, and the second bombing paralyzed the dock area. Although it is not enough to completely cut off Holmstead from the outside world, it at least makes the mobilization efficiency of US troops near the port greatly reduced.

Looking at the dilapidated dock area, MacArthur suddenly drew a circle with both hands: "We're going to build this place into a huge fortress!" ”

Ruins turned fortresses? Colonel Lake was dumbfounded for a moment, what kind of jumping thinking is this! However, this time he did not dare to disobey MacArthur's will again, and it was obviously not a wise thing to oppose such a general.

"Yes, General!"

"There, it can be transformed into a strong battery, and I will send the cannon to the ordnance department as soon as possible!" MacArthur pointed to a collapsed building, and then pointed his finger at a low warehouse in the distance, "There, set up a large-caliber mortar, and build a fortified bunker strong enough to withstand enemy bombs!" ”

"There, infantry bunkers!"

"Here, the machine gun bunker!"

……

Colonel Lake nodded like a chicken, he didn't understand how this general could have come to deploy the defense of a port with such a "Yaxing", and what was even worse was that what he asked for could not be done without a large number of labor and materials.

After walking around the docks, MacArthur seemed not satisfied, and then asked Colonel Lake to accompany him around the port area, and took care of some beaches that seemed to be easy for the enemy to land.

Seeing that his hand was embarrassed but did not dare to speak, MacArthur suddenly patted him on the shoulder kindly: "Old man, the burden on your shoulders is very heavy, but now it is time for the survival of the country." Victory, we have a chance to turn things around, defeat, and there will be no return! ”

Colonel Lake also heard the meaning of this, and he hurriedly stood up and said, "Please rest assured, General, we will do our best!" ”

"Excellent! The work of strengthening the defense will be intensified from now on, not only the artillery, but I will also send some more troops to assist you in the defense! As long as you do your best, I will ask for credit from the military department for you! ”

"Don't dare to hope for it, as long as you don't send me to guard the island!" Colonel Lake thought so in his heart, but he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Just as MacArthur's inspection was about to end, an ominous sound suddenly sounded on the sea in the distance, and those who knew it well knew what it meant. Before the air defense sirens sounded in the port area, Lake Persuaded: "Your Excellency, the enemy's air raid is imminent, for your safety and for the sake of the overall situation, you should go to the rear first to avoid it!" ”

MacArthur's eyes widened: "How can the soldiers be convinced by such cowardice when they tremble when they hear that the enemy is coming?" I'm going to be here today to see how powerful the enemy's planes really are! ”

MacArthur looked righteous and awe-inspiring, but Lake was bitter in his heart, there were no decent air defense facilities here, and after a period of emergency repairs, some imperfect fortifications were barely added, so when the German bombers attacked, in addition to the soldiers who operated the anti-aircraft guns, he usually only left some sentries in the port area, and he withdrew from the port area with a large force. If MacArthur continues to persevere, then he will definitely not be able to go.

"The general's courage is really admirable, but there are no bullets on the battlefield, if there is a good one, it will be a loss for the country!"

MacArthur looked at the anxious colonel, and then at the clusters of black dots in the distance, and just then, the low, suppressed air raid sirens in the harbor area also sounded. After a moment of thought, MacArthur reluctantly accepted the suggestion, and then quickly got into the car, and without saying a few words of condolence or goodbye to Lake, the convoy drove in the direction of leaving the port area.

Looking at the smoke and dust raised by MacArthur's convoy, Colonel Lake finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned his head to look above the sea, and the general outline of the German bomber could already be distinguished by the naked eye.

"All...... Evacuate Minato! ”

The U.S. soldiers, who had just lined up in a neat line, climbed into the truck parked not far away with great skill and swiftness, and before the first bomb fell, they had safely evacuated to the wilderness of which the Allied bombers were not usually interested, where a relatively complete anti-aircraft shelter and sheltered supply warehouse had been built.

In a short time, with the sound of violent explosions, the port of Homestead was shrouded in billowing smoke and terrible flames, and the size of the Allied fleet in the sky terrified everyone standing on the ground. As far as the eye could see, the sky above the harbor was almost obscured by the aerial killing weapons of massive metal bodies, two or four powerful engines, and terrifying destructive powers, hundreds, perhaps more than a thousand, as if not even sunlight could penetrate the dense formations they formed. In the face of the overwhelming buzz and the incessant explosions, the anti-aircraft fire from the ground seemed so weak.

(End of chapter)