"The formation of the Volunteer Army was spontaneously promoted by civil society groups, and had nothing to do with the political axe and the army, and neither the political axe nor the army supported it." Cai Ye still replied in a calm voice, "Some of the members of the Volunteer Army are retired soldiers, and they participate as civilians, and the army cannot stop them. Because in our country, within the limits of the Constitution, everyone can do what he wants. Otherwise, we would not be able to call it a boiled country. ”

"The volunteers went to the Philippines to participate in the war to defend world peace, Mingzhuo and justice, and they showed the world the best qualities of the Chinese nation with their own heroic actions and the spirit of internationalism that is not afraid of sacrifice. Their actions also reflect our country, which is a true boiled country. ”

Cai's words caused a stir in the audience, with some applauding and others shaking their heads and sighing.

"But their actions are plunging our country into the catastrophe of war!" Cai Yi's answer made Mei Siping very annoyed, he realized that it was not a way to continue to ask like this, so he started to attack from another side, "They are giving people a handle, and their excesses will anger Yu Ben and give him the excuse to wage war against our country!" ”

"I would like to ask Congressman May, when Ben invaded our country, the United States formed a volunteer army to help our country in the war, did Ben declare war on the United States at that time?" Cai Ye sneered and asked, "More recently, during the Spanish Civil War, members of the Soviet Union and many countries in the world formed an 'international column' and went to Spain to participate in the war. ”

Mei Siping made Cai Yi's words speechless, he coughed a few times as if he was covering, and just wanted to speak, but was interrupted by Cai Yi.

"Just like this time, when Ben started a war with the United States, there was no warning beforehand, and there were still many words of friendship between the two countries in the newspapers of the two countries, and the aircraft carrier Ben rushed to Pearl Harbor! The United States did not offend the United States, but it ignored public international law and did not declare war for any reason! And judging by the cunning of its actions and the precision of its bombing, it was carefully prepared! Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is the intention of the department to attack the United States! Cai Yi looked around and said, "It can be seen that whether or not Ben is going to war with our country has little to do with the Volunteer Army." I can responsibly tell you that I would not be surprised if one day he would do the same undeclared war against my country, because I had always wanted to destroy my country! ”

"General Cai, please don't change the subject!" Mei Siping felt that the audience's thoughts were beginning to be affected by Cai Yi, and screamed, "I said that Ben is not at war with my country now, please don't be alarmist!" I now draw your attention to the fact that it is you who are being questioned by Congress! ”

"Please continue, then." Cai Ye nodded, his voice became calmer, Yang Shuoming looked at Cai Ye's slightly flushed cheeks, and couldn't help but worry about him.

"My next question is about the origin of the weapons and equipment of the Volunteer Army." Mei Siping opened a memo in his hand and said, "According to my investigation, the volunteer army is equipped with submachine guns, artillery and tanks, as well as a large number of aircraft. How could they possibly have these weapons without the support of the military? Can they buy these in the domestic market? ”

Cai Yi was just about to answer, but Mei Siping hurriedly said: "The question I asked just now is a bit general, I want to ask you to answer my questions one by one, okay?" ”

Cai Yi nodded, and Mei Siping hurriedly asked: "The volunteers are equipped with submachine guns, do you deny this?" ”

"Nope." Cai Ye replied, "It has been published in the newspaper, and I am not blind. ”

Cai Yi's answer caused a low burst of laughter in the audience, Mei Siping's face seemed a little unbearable, he was deaf to the surname of these laughter, and immediately asked: "Then I want to know, where did these submachine guns come from?" ”

"Bought from the market, of course." Cai Yi smiled and said, "As far as I know, the submachine guns used by the volunteers, such as the old-fashioned 'flower mechanism' and the modified 'fifty rings', are all equipment that has been retired from the army, and these can be bought through legal channels in the market. I can guarantee that the volunteer personnel did not and could not be equipped with the new submachine guns in service with our army. ”

"Well, according to what you said, we believe for the time being that these submachine guns are bought from the market, but what about tanks and artillery? Is it all decommissioned equipment? ”

"You got it right, of course it's retired. It's just that after these heavy weapons are decommissioned, they are not allowed to be bought and sold, and they must be dismantled and recycled. Whether the Volunteer Army was armed with artillery and tanks, I do not know at the moment, if so, it is likely that they were reassembled from parts purchased from factories that dismantled weapons, because the chassis of the tanks could be converted into agricultural tractors, and the barrels of the guns could be used for other purposes. ”

"Well, tanks and artillery are as you say. But what about airplanes? As far as I know, the Volunteer Army is actually equipped with 'Skylark' fighters! It is said that his surname is quite advanced, surpassing the American 'Wildcat' fighter, and is currently the only fighter that can compete with the 'Gale' fighter! ”

Mei Siping said loudly, staring at Cai Ye tightly, he saw beads of sweat oozing from Cai Ye's forehead, and thought that he had stabbed Cai Ye's weakness, and couldn't help but get a little carried away.

"Please General Cai explain to all of us, how can the Volunteer Army have a 'Skylark' fighter!"

"The Skylark fighter has now been decommissioned." Cai Yi seemed to be deliberately cooperating with Mei Siping's expression, he took out a white handkerchief and wiped the sweat on his forehead, smiled, and said.

Seeing a rare hint of humor flashing in Cai Ye's eyes, Yang Shuoming couldn't help but smile.

"The 'Skylark' fighter was retired? How is this possible? As far as I know, our navy and army are equipped with more than 10,000 such aircraft, so how can they be retired overnight? Mei Siping sneered, "General Cai, please give us an explanation!" ”

"I want to make a small correction here, the 'Skylark' is a trainer combat dual-purpose aircraft, not a simple fighter." Cai Yi said, "'Skylark' is mainly used for the training of civilian pilots, and there are almost no non-equipped airlines and flight clubs in the private sector, and the Navy and Army are only equipped with a very small part, with a total of no more than 1,500 aircraft, mainly for civilian equipment, and the number of 'Skylark' aircraft in China is about nearly 20,000 ......."

Hearing the figures reported by Cai Ye, the audience couldn't help but feel an uproar.

"Silence! Quiet! The Speaker slapped the table hard with a wooden mallet (not a mallet used in the West) and said loudly.

The hall quickly fell silent, and everyone focused their eyes on Cai Yi.

"You must know that there are no less than 3,000 aviation clubs in China, and among the volunteers, there are many people who have been trained in flight, and the channels for obtaining aircraft do not necessarily have to go through the military." Cai Ye said, "What's more, the 'Skylark' aircraft has been decommissioned, the army has begun to replace it with new fighters, and the navy also has the same plan to update its fighters. ”

Mei Siping choked Cai Yi's words again, and seeing his embarrassment, Yang Yuhan couldn't help but laugh softly.

"General Cai answered so well." Yang Yuhan looked at his father and said, "Isn't it your turn in a while?" ”

"It's still early, it should be Chief Tang later." Yang Shuoming shook his head, "It's my turn for a while." ”

"It's not going to be a 'full martial arts' today, is it?" Yang Yuhan looked at the Liberal Party members who were a little crazy like Mei Siping in the audience, and asked with a smile.

"It's hard to say." Yang Shuoming smiled, "However, there is no need to be surprised, for a Mingzhu country, these are very normal." It is terrible that all people, like the Soviet Union, did not dare to express their opposing opinions. ”

"But this time, their gang is doing too badly." Yang Yuhan said, "They shout all day long, 'China is the China of the Chinese, and Asia is the Asia of the Asians,' shouting that they don't care about the war of the whites. ”

"It's not that they don't understand, it's that they don't want to understand." Yang Shuoming said, "As the saying goes, it's 'pretending to be confused'. ”

"Then let them mess with it like this?" Yang Yuhan said worriedly.

"Did any of your classmates go to war in the Philippines?" Yang Shuoming guessed his daughter's thoughts, patted her hand with a smile, and asked.

Hearing her father's inquiry, Yang Yuhan's face turned slightly red, she avoided answering her father's question, but asked again: "You said, if the United States really can't stand up in the Pacific, what can we do?" ”

"Don't worry, that's not going to happen." Yang Shuoming said softly, his gaze returning to the venue.

While China's parliament was in turmoil over whether or not to enter the war, he did not waste as much time as the Chinese did.

While General Wavell was trying to establish a viable structure for his US-British-Dutch-Australian command, another offensive began. Wavell tried to concentrate on the most pressing task: mobilizing all the manpower and material resources to avert the military catastrophe facing Malaya, but the Allies were hampered by long distances and inconvenient transportation. His chief of staff, Henry? While inspecting the front lines, General Bonnard was shocked by the low morale of the Indian troops, who were digging trenches and again trying to stop them at the Serin River, which was the natural defence of the road to Kuala Lumpur and the key to holding the airfields in the south, which the convoy carrying reinforcements had to hold if they were to avoid heavy bombardment. On the east coast of Malaya, another regiment of the Guards Regiment was being reinforced, which was advancing south to occupy the Kuantan airstrip, not far from Singapore.

If Wavell wanted to hold Singapore, he had to stop the hasty retreat of his troops. But a lot like Spencer? Field commanders like Chapman had doubted that their demoralized Indian soldiers had what it took to defeat him in a forest battle. "Our front-line soldiers are now equipped like Christmas trees, bulky boots, cloth bullet bags, backpacks, dry food bags, water bottles, blankets, moisture-proof sheets, and even thick coats and gas masks, and they have a hard time walking, let alone fighting." In contrast, the soldiers themselves were very far-sighted, and the soldiers were dressed in light summer clothes, and they had been trained in strict jungle warfare, and the jungle was now helping them.

At this time, the superiority of the army was once again revealed. On that day, they met the Indian 12th Division. The division was ordered to build a position to guard a road and rail crossing in front of the Shilin River. The first attack was repulsed, but on the second night, the spy tanks surrounded the position from behind along a waste road, "hooking" the Indian troops. At dawn, the Indian army fled again in a hurry, and the light tanks of the Japanese army were in hot pursuit. Spencer? Chapman hid in the thick bushes on the side of the road, watching the Japanese army break through in the direction of the Malayan capital. The infantry could advance 20 miles a day, and the sun was blazing, and the tanks were hot enough to fry eggs, but they were still advancing rapidly. The number of light tanks was small, but their tracks clicked and merged into a cacophony of sounds, and the fleeing Indian troops were terrified, thinking that countless tanks were chasing them. Guns, ammunition, and other equipment once again fell into the hands of the enemy, and the army added to these equipment, and immediately quickened the pace of its advance. Yamashita can now confidently order his commanders to rely on the enemy's supplies.

On the day of the Allied defeat at the Shiling River, General Wavell arrived in Singapore on his way to Java to establish the Supreme Command of the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia. After inspecting the area ahead, he realized that the army would speed up the attack in the open area, so that General Heath would not have the opportunity to concentrate the scattered Indian divisions for another resistance, unless they retreated a hundred miles back to Johor. Percival, for his part, said that his subordinates failed to stop the enemy attack because of "the extreme fatigue of the troops." In order to give them time to recover from their fatigue and regroup their forces, the Singapore Command ordered them to retreat all the way to the Sungai Muar River defensive line, 20 miles away in Johor. This is the last natural barrier before retreating across the strait to Singapore. Gordon? General Bennett was ordered to reinforce the front line with a brigade of the Australian 8th Division, and the remaining troops were ready to defend the road from Mersing to the Channel causeway to the south to Singapore Island.

In the Philippines, on the other side of the South China Sea, U.S. and Filipino forces are also in full withdrawal. General MacArthur paced around his headquarters like a lion in a cage. The new headquarters is located deep in the Marinta tunnel, which plunges directly into the heart of the rocks of Corregidor Island. For more than a week, he had been working day and night to issue orders to field commanders in an effort to free the two Army Groups on Luzon from the claws of Masaharu Honma's pincer offensive toward Manila, thus making up for the earlier defeat. MacArthur skillfully arranged a two-stage retreat, successfully realizing the "Dunkirk Far East" retreat plan. The key to success was General Wainwright's morale-boosting command and the assistance of experienced American and Chinese volunteers. They gathered the scattered troops on North Luzon, held five temporary defensive lines, blew up 201 bridges, and stopped the main attack of the Japanese army in time. The slowing of the Japanese offensive gave General Parker enough time to free the 15,000 men of his South Luzon forces from the Japanese army and to make them retreat safely to the west of Manila before Wainwright's line of defense stuck the neck of the Bataan Peninsula like a large lock.

After learning of the war report, the General Staff Headquarters called this operation "a great strategic action." This action undoubtedly prevented Honma Masaharu from using a pincer offensive to encircle and divide MacArthur's forces, and also prevented him from reinforcing Yamashita Fumi's flank attack that was winning in Malaya. Believing that the U.S. forces were in full rout, Honma mistakenly approached Manila, ignoring the use of air superiority to destroy two important bridges 10 miles north of the city, which were located on the Calombit River, the route of the retreating Filipino army, which fled with hordes of civilians, and for several days in a row, ox carts with the old white surname blocked the two bridges, and the army vehicles were blocked far behind.

The attempt was made to cut off the two important bridges over the Calombit River, but it was too late, as the U.S. and Chinese volunteers stopped the attempt with newly arrived Chinese tanks, and it was not until the last Filipino infantry safely reached the other side of the river that Wainwright gave the order to "blow it up." At 6:22 a.m., the two bridges plunged into the rapids below. The second phase of the retreat to Bataan had begun, and MacArthur was lucky. Having not used his tremendous air superiority to intensify the offensive, not to attack the vehicles and soldiers who were crowded with each other on the only two roads, or to destroy the bridge at Layac, Honma seems to have been more interested in the triumphant entry into Manila on 12 February, which he unwisely believed would mark the surrender of the Filipinos. But he soon discovered that it was not enough to force MacArthur to surrender by simply playing the national anthem "Kimiyo" or raising the sun flag at a ceremony at the former residence of the American high commissioner.

By the end of the first two months of 1942, some 50,000 Filipino and American soldiers were digging trenches behind a strong natural defensive line that traversed the Bataan Peninsula and crossed the marshes and two volcanic peaks on Mount Natib. About 20 miles behind this line of defense, retreat positions on the slopes of the desolate Marifeles were being prepared. With 15,000 U.S. troops, 30,000 Chinese volunteers, and 65,000 Filipino troops at his disposal, MacArthur expected to be able to stop a large-scale offensive in six months or more.

(To be continued)