Immediately after that, the offensive goal was put on the agenda. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

The Marshall Islands is made up of 29 atolls, 5 remote islands and 867 small and large coral islands spread over a vast ocean of 750,000 square kilometers. If coral reefs are included, there are 1,152 large and small reefs in the Marshall Islands.

This is one of the reasons why the Japanese army has a weak defense in the Marshall Islands...... There are too many islands and reefs that need to be defended, there are 29 atolls alone, and even if the other islands and reefs of the Japanese army are not defended, 30,000 people are only used to defend these 29 atolls, and the average number of people on each atoll is only 1,000.

Of course, the Japanese army also chose some of the islands and reefs with large areas and important strategic locations for defense, but it was inevitable that the forces would be scattered.

Worse still...... At this time, the Japanese army had completely lost its sea and air superiority in the face of the powerful US Navy, which meant that the Japanese forces scattered on various islands and reefs could not support each other, so they were like scattered sand, waiting for the fate of being broken by the US army.

For the U.S. military, it is also impossible for each of the so many islands and reefs to become the target of the U.S. military's attack, so it is necessary to select some islands with more military value.

According to the original plan, which was codenamed "Operation Fusiliers," the U.S. military selected three islands as targets.

The three targets are Eniwetok Atoll, Kosrae Island and Wake Island.

Zhang Chi opened the map of the Marshall Islands and quickly found these three islands on them, and then understood why the US military chose these three islands and reefs as attack targets.

Eniwetok Atoll is located at the northernmost tip of the archipelago, Kosrae Island is located on the westernmost side of the archipelago, and Wake Island is located in the farthest northeast of the archipelago.

It is clear that if these three islands are taken, the US Navy will form an encirclement of the Marshall Islands from three directions...... As mentioned before, after occupying these three islands, then building airfields and ports on the three islands, and then the land-based air force will be stationed, with the cooperation of the land-based air force and aircraft carriers and warships, combined with the newly captured Makin Island, Tarawa Atoll and Abbemama Island in the south, an encirclement of warplanes and warships will be formed, and this iron bucket-like encirclement will block the Japanese troops in the entire Marshall Islands from the outside world, and then the US troops can slowly eat the Japanese troops trapped in them one bite at a time.

This plan should be said to be feasible, especially when the US military has fully seized the superiority of the sea and air, and any attempt by the Japanese army to break through the blockade will be ruthlessly attacked.

But here's the problem...... The Marshall Islands have 750,000 square kilometers and more than 1,000 islands and reefs.

"General!" Saying that, Zhang Chi said to Halsey: "I think it is necessary for us to change the target of the attack!" ”

"They...... Any questions? Halsey looked puzzled.

"I know that the geographical location of these three islands is very important!" Zhang Chi said: "I also know that if we occupy these three islands, we can form an encirclement of the Marshall Islands." But...... This encirclement is too large, more than 750,000 square kilometers, and although we rely on aircraft carriers to have the ability to form an encirclement of it, after the encirclement, it ...... How many troops do we have to go on the next offensive? Even if we still have the forces to attack, how long will it take to bring the Marshall Islands into our territory? A year? Two years?! ”

Hearing this, Halsey couldn't help but be stunned, Zhang Chi said that this problem has actually been mentioned by some admirals a long time ago, the distance between the three islands is too far to support each other, and the middle must rely on aircraft carriers to form an encirclement trend, which will make the US military forces scattered, aircraft carriers are vulnerable to attack, etc., the biggest shortcoming is just like Zhang Chi said, this battle will be protracted, which means more material losses and battle losses.

After thinking about it, Halsey replied: "The battlefield may not develop like this, and the reason why we chose these three outer islands as our offensive targets is because they have an important strategic position, and second, because they are far from the center of the Marshall Islands, and it will be relatively easy to attack." Three...... After seizing this island, we will use these three islands as the basis, gradually seize the island inward, compress the space of the Japanese army, and finally compress the Japanese army to the center of the archipelago and annihilate it! ”

This tactic was called "layer by layer" tactic by the US military, and it was more figurative to say that it was "peeling the onion", peeling the Japanese army's defense layer by layer until the Japanese army was annihilated.

"I always thought it wasn't necessary!" Zhang Chi replied.

"Where are your doubts?" Halsey asked.

"We're like this...... What was the purpose of encircling the Japanese? Zhang Chi asked.

"The purpose of the siege?" Halsey replied with some incredulity: "Of course you know the purpose of the encirclement, once we surround the Japanese, then they will not get food or fuel, without these their tanks, planes and warships will be scrap metal ......"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Zhang Chi interrupted Halsey's words: "General, do you think that the Japanese can't get food in the sea area of 750,000 square kilometers and more than 1,000 islands and reefs?" Do you think that the tanks, planes and warships of the Japanese are not scrap metal? ”

Halsey was immediately stunned.

Zhang Chi's words undoubtedly hit the nail on the head.

When it comes to food, the Japanese have an amazing endurance that they can hold out even in a barren land like Kuah Island, especially in a place as large as the Marshall Islands.

As for tanks, planes and warships...... In the face of the powerful US Navy and completely disproportionate air force, although it cannot be said to be scrap metal, it cannot become a threat to the US military. Even the US military hoped that the Japanese planes and warships would fight the US army, so that the US military could eliminate them as soon as possible and concentrate all their forces to seize the island.

The threat of the U.S. military in the Marshall Islands is the Japanese garrison that will not surrender even if they are stationed on the islands and reefs.

So it's really like what Zhang Chi said, there is almost no difference between encirclement and non-encirclement...... The Marshall Islands are a bunch of islands, and they can only be supplied by warships at sea and planes in the sky, both of which are under the control of the U.S. military.

"So...... Colonel, which islands do you think we should choose as targets for attack? Halsey asked.

Zhang Chi drew a circle in the center of the Marshall Islands, and said under Halsey's astonished eyes: "Attack the center of the islands directly!" ”

(To be continued.) )