Chapter 553: The Bloody Battle of Okinawa
The Japanese troops on Okinawa took only one day. The pen & fun & pavilion www.biquge.info drove 200,000 American troops from the island to the outside of the island.
If it weren't for the heavy artillery fire of the American ships. If it weren't for the U.S. air raids, it would have come too timely. If it weren't for the commander of the 32nd Army, Mitsuru Ushijima, he didn't want to sacrifice too many Japanese soldiers. The 200,000 American soldiers were afraid that they would be driven into the sea by 150,000 Japanese troops on the first day.
Oh. Wrong. It should be said that it is 180,000 American troops. Because it's just the first day of counterattack. U.S. troops were killed or wounded. Missing. A total of nearly 20,000 people were captured.
When the commander of the U.S. Army saw the bleak scene in front of him. Incredible attrition figures. His mouth opened wide in surprise to fit three eggs.
He couldn't believe it. The tiny island of Okinawa is after months of bombardment. The Japanese troops stationed in Okinawa still had such a strong strength. He thought that these Japanese troops had already given up resistance. It turned out to lure the enemy deeper.
But the commander of the US military did not understand what it was. Okinawa has been closely monitored by the U.S. Navy and Air Force in recent months. Although it is not possible to achieve a complete blockade. However, it is also impossible for a large ship carrying supplies to evade the blockade of the US military and reach Okinawa.
Case. That Okinawa can only hold on to the original storage for these months. That island shouldn't have such a lot of firepower.
Could it be that Okinawa was well prepared before the war began? That's impossible. Who would have thought. The U.S. military would suddenly abandon its attacks on the Philippines and Taiwan. Turning to Okinawa.
Of course, the commander of the US army could not have imagined that the Japanese army had been fully prepared for a long time. With the help of Li Tie and Nanzao Yunzi. Today, Okinawa Island has plenty of ammunition and food. All the supplies hidden underground. It's just a reserve of food and clean water. That's enough for the island's defenders to consume for a year.
However, the U.S. military did not believe that the Japanese army would have so many reserves. So the next day. The U.S. military regrouped and fought again. This time they weren't careless. The U.S. military began cave by cave search. As long as it's a place where people can hide. Blow them all up.
Not to mention. The methods of the US military are stupid though. But it's much more effective. A large number of Japanese troops were buried by the collapsed hole before they even had a chance to break out of the hole.
Besides, the U.S. military has nothing else. It's just that the supplies are sufficient. In order to save their lives, the soldiers did not skimp on the ammunition in their hands. So after a brief panic. The U.S. military even began to fight in a good way.
It's just that the Japanese army will not watch the US army encroach on their defensive positions little by little. So every night. The Japanese army would always organize a large number of death squads to storm the American positions.
It turned out to be a whole month. During the day, the American army attacked the Japanese army. At night, it was replaced by the Japanese attacking the American army. Casualties on both sides were heavy. The Japanese army is strong because of its strong will to fight. Every offense. Don't fight to the last man. Never stop attacking.
And the US military is strong in firepower. Sufficient troops. After learning that there were 150,000 defenders on the island of Okinawa. The U.S. military kept increasing troops in Okinawa.
within a month. 300,000 U.S. reinforcements arrived on Okinawa. The two sides fought again for two months on the island of Okinawa. Three months later. When the total strength of the American army, which reached 500,000, paid a full 200,000 casualties. The U.S. forces finally broke into the last line of defense of the Japanese army on the island.
Ushijima at this time is full. There were less than 5,000 troops around him. Most of them are old and weak. But Ushijima did not surrender. He didn't commit suicide by caesarean section like in his previous life. He also has a secret weapon given by Nanzao Yunzi.
When night falls again. On this day, there was a rare breeze in Okinawa. Suddenly, the whole island was filled with rumbling cannons.
Ushijima Mitsuru ordered the artillery to immediately drain all the shells. Then he led 5,000 remnants of the army to launch a decisive charge against the American army on the opposite side at night. And after killing and wounding a large number of American soldiers. In the end, the battle was killed.
But Ushijima's death was not the end of the battle. Rather, it is only the beginning of a new battle. Because the remaining 1,000 artillery began to fire pre-prepared special shells all over the island. That is, gas bombs.
All of a sudden. The entire Okinawa area was filled with poison gas bombs emitting green smoke. Although the American soldiers are equipped with gas masks. But in the face of the last remnants of the Japanese army. It's dark night again. U.S. soldiers did not respond adequately to the poison gas attacks of the Japanese soldiers before they died. As a result, a large number of American soldiers were killed and wounded. Just this night. Nearly 20,000 more U.S. soldiers were killed or wounded.
And those thousand Japanese artillerymen who were responsible for firing poison gas shells. Also after the last gas bomb was fired. Ostensibly immediately scattered and fled. In fact, it is to detonate the explosion points that have been buried in various places in advance.
In the darkness of the night. Both American and Japanese soldiers wore gas masks. There is no difference between friend and foe for a while. As a result, these nearly 1,000 artillery officers really completed the impossible task in peacetime.
One by one, the Japanese detonated the various explosion points buried on the island. The whole inner island is shaking. There were shells flying everywhere. There were explosions everywhere. The entire inner island was plunged into a sea of fire.
And the US military, which is being messed up by poison gas bombs. I even thought that Japan had sent reinforcements. Many troops were withdrawn from their positions of their own accord. More U.S. soldiers' eyes widened. Staring at the position. I was afraid that the Japanese army would rush out of the sea of fire.
Early the next morning. The U.S. forces finally determined that last night's attack was the final blow of the Japanese army. The entire island of Okinawa except for a few hundred artillery soldiers who were stunned. There were no more Japanese soldiers alive.
Knowing the results, the American soldiers finally reassured. Start cleaning up the battlefield. The frightened American soldier fell from one of the positions in front of the ground wearing the uniform of an ordinary soldier. But in front of the corpse with the lieutenant general's command knife in his hand. Mitsuru Ushijima's body was confirmed.
Soon the news of the end of the Battle of Okinawa was transmitted back to Japan. The U.S. government was not happy when it saw the victory report on Okinawa.
Even the celebrations that should have been held after each big victory were canceled by President Roosevelt. Because the victory of Okinawa can only be described as a pyrrhic victory.
Three months of hard fighting. The U.S. military paid more than 200,000 casualties to occupy Okinawa, which was defended by 150,000 people. And in front of the Americans. There is also the island of Honshu, which has a population of more than 10 million. There are also the Japanese archipelago, which has a population of more than 100 million.
The thought that he was going to be in front of 100 million crazy Japanese. U.S. lawmakers can't help but feel numb. It's not forty-two years. The United States has just been attacked by Japan, and everyone is red-eyed and wants revenge.
After three years of hard fighting. The great sacrifices have made the Americans want to end the war as soon as possible. Because the mighty Americans struck on both sides in the European and Pacific theaters. Even with the national strength of the United States, it is almost unbearable.
Anything else is good to say. The loss of this personnel is simply too great. Three years of world war. The U.S. military has already suffered more than a million casualties. Facing the impending battle between Germany and Japan. All the top levels of the United States know about it. They are likely to lose millions more or more.
"Is there no other way to end this abominable war than this life-and-death fight?" President Roosevelt slammed the phone in front of him to the ground.