150, Thunder 13
Dozens of Chinese planes hovered over Manila, a dozen of which were J-2 Swallow fighters, escort fighters. From time to time, the hovering bombers dropped several bombs, setting off explosive flames in the city of Manila.
Pershing had been watching north of Manila with a telescope, and the front line of the Chinese army had advanced to a kilometer outside the city, and many Chinese soldiers were rushing to repair the fortifications. In the past two days, quite a number of officers have asked for artillery strikes on Chinese officers and soldiers who are close in front of them, but he has refused.
Pershing knew very well why the Chinese Air Force had been hovering overhead, that is, waiting for his artillery positions to be exposed. Once the artillery is fired, there will undoubtedly be a fierce bombardment by the Chinese Air Force, and if the few remaining artillery pieces are destroyed again, then he does not dare to imagine the next war.
"It seems that the Chinese will attack soon, but the planes and anti-aircraft weapons requested by the general will take at least half a month to arrive." Ishihara frowned, although he didn't care how many Americans died, but he didn't want the Americans to fail quickly, even if they were to fail, it would need to consume the strength of the Chinese side to the maximum extent before they were defeated.
Pershing frowned and said, "Their troops are not abundant, could it be that they want to attack our army of more than 300,000 people?" And it's a street fight? ”
Ishihara said: "General, I want to remind you once again that China has a very terrifying super heavy artillery group, which can fight with the army. If the Chinese use this heavy artillery group to cover Manila with fire, the consequences will be very serious. ”
Pershing frowned and said, "Your Excellency Ishihara, have you seen this strange Chinese artillery strike with your own eyes?" ”
Ishihara smiled bitterly, "No." But our troops have been hit in this way. Our famous general Muto Nobuyoshi was shelled by the Chinese in Korea, and tens of thousands of troops and a strong defensive line were destroyed in an instant. If Manila were to be attacked like this, perhaps the entire city could disappear. I suspect that this is how the Siamese Sukhothai Line was destroyed, otherwise I can't think of any reason why an army of more than 200,000 people could not withstand it for a day. ”
Pershing said contemptuously: "What is the standard of the army's artillery, I think everyone knows that the caliber and power of the artillery are limited due to the limitations of weight specifications and so on. I think that in North Korea and Sukhothai, the Chinese must have secretly used train guns. But this is the Philippines, and that kind of cannon cannons can't be brought over unless a big port like Manila has special loading and unloading machinery, unless they get God's help. ”
Pershing did not mock the rout of the Japanese and Siamese armies, knowing if the artillery appeared on the army's field battlefields or siege battles. It was an absolute disaster. For example, Germany's "Paris Cannon" in World War I. It would be absolutely disastrous for the battlefield, and one cannon would definitely be more powerful than a hundred 150mm guns, because after the 150mm guns, if you hide in the underground fortifications at a depth of several meters. If you're lucky, you won't die. But the cannon is useless. Unless you go ten or twenty meters underground, how can there be such fortifications in field battles and defending cities? The cannon means destruction, death, and the blow to the morale of the army is unparalleled.
Ishihara smiled bitterly, "I hope you're right." "He didn't see it with his own eyes, after all. But I don't know why, he is always uneasy in his heart.
Pershing said fiercely: "Manila will let the Chinese feel the situation of the 'Battle of Verdun' in those years, and will effectively strangle the elite troops of the Chinese." ”
Ishihara sighed secretly in his heart, he didn't know whether to say that the United States was confident or didn't know whether to live or die, in his opinion, the American army was even less than the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army back then, its military discipline and training were not at the same level at all, and he was even confident that he would defeat twice the American army. However, he thought about it and said to himself: Maybe the Yankees should suffer a little, so that they can put away their hearts of contempt for the enemy.
Not long after, he suddenly saw a cloud of fire rising from the Chinese position, and the flames filled a large area, and then he saw countless missiles whizzing with tail flames. He sighed in his heart, this situation was almost the same as the situation when Muto Nobuyoshi reported to Japan.
"The Chinese are attacking!" This kind of English shout rang out everywhere when I boarded.
"Is it finally here?" Pershing looked at the flying rain of bullets, his face turned pale, and then he said jokingly, "This scene is a bit like the description of the magic in European mythology, the meteor fire shower, which is magnificent and gorgeous. ”
Ishihara Wan'er exclaimed with a very ugly face: "Damn, this is the Chinese's super artillery group salvo." It was exactly the same as the situation described by General Muto Nobuyoshi back then. ”
"Huh?" Pershing was taken aback, and before he could ask again, countless shells had already rained down.
"Boom" Every shell fell, the violent explosion and fire covered a radius of several hundred meters, the violent shock wave set off the debris in the sky, countless buildings turned into ashes in an instant, and the gunpowder smoke rose into mushroom clouds.
Half of Manila was submerged in a violent explosion, and flying dust and smoke hung over the sky like a sandstorm.
Li Huangshan and Lan Tianwei looked at this scene, and Lan Tianwei couldn't help but sigh: "It's so beautiful." ”
The launch of the rocket launcher broke through the air, like countless giant fireworks, dazzling, and the fire of the explosion was like countless gorgeous red flowers blooming in the distance, which was beautiful.
However, this beauty is a deadly poison for the U.S. military, such as the world-destroying heavenly fire, which is the Shura Hellfire.
The dust and smoke gradually cleared.
Pershing, Ishihara Wan'er, and countless officers and soldiers of the U.S. Army were completely demented, their mouths wide open enough to fit goose eggs, and their throats emitted all kinds of strange "gurgling" sounds. Half of Manila was gone before their eyes, and there wasn't much left of the ruins, let alone the good buildings. In such a situation, can we still expect tens of thousands of American troops deployed in the northern half of the city to attack? With such a devastating blow, there is no trace of life left in sight.
"Ah!!h I don't know how long later, some American soldiers screamed frantically, lost their guns, and fled frantically backwards.
"I don't want to die here, I'm going to get out of this damn hell!" More and more American dramas are running away from the frenzy.
"Bang" Several U.S. officers killed several fleeing soldiers in succession, scolding: "Damn, you are deserters." Whoever dares to run, all enforce battlefield discipline. ”
The officer stopped a group of soldiers for a while, but countless officers and soldiers in other places ran back frantically, and the officers and soldiers who were stopped shouted: "Sir, the Chinese's firepower is too strong, and we are even more meaningless sacrifices here, as long as the other side covers the artillery again, the whole of Manila will disappear, including us." ”
Pershing did not pay attention to the rout of the troops and the disputes between the officers and soldiers, and at this moment his heart could no longer be described as frightened, it was simply a storm. The power of China's "super artillery group" almost made him breathless, and his heart was full of despair, which was not a blow that human beings could resist.
"That's what you call a 'super swarm'?" Pershing's voice was hoarse, and a few words seemed to exhaust all his strength, and his bright eyes turned into dead fish eyes.
Ishihara's face turned pale, staring at the ruined half of the city, and nodded bitterly. At this moment, he finally understood what kind of terrible scene Muto Nobuyoshi was facing, which was equivalent to a salvo of thousands of giant cannons, and such an artillery bombardment would not give people a way to live at all.
Pershing's whole spirit collapsed in an instant. Tens of thousands of troops were lost when they landed in Manila and were bombed, and now they have lost tens of thousands, and almost before the Chinese National Defense Forces have seen them, they have lost 100,000 troops. 100,000 lives, and all the bones remain, what kind of uproar will this cause in the United States? You must know that in World War I, the United States participated in the war and killed a total of only 50,000 officers and soldiers.
The most important thing is, how many of the hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops in the Philippines can go back alive in the face of such a terrible enemy? Prior to this, although the Chinese offensive was successful and the coalition forces were retreating, Pershing was still convinced that victory must belong to the coalition forces and was confident in defending the Philippines. But his confidence was shattered in an instant under this shelling. Because the Chinese side has such a terrifying super artillery group, this war cannot be fought in the first place, and any position will collapse and destroy in an instant under such a terrifying blow. The most terrifying thing is that such a super artillery group of the other side can move with the army, you must know that there is no large port in the northern part of the Philippines, but the Chinese can move such artillery to the front line, then it means that China can simply move this super artillery group to any battlefield.
How to deal with such an enemy? It is not something that human beings can resist.
At this moment, Pershing finally understood why China was so arrogant and why Japan had lost so badly. If the United States has such a super weapon, it will absolutely dare to defy any enemy and be fearless of any challenge.
The dull roar of diesel engines kept coming, and a group of Chinese tanks in the distance, with the cooperation of a large number of infantry, had already poured in. Then he heard the fierce gunfire coming from the other side of the harbor, and the sharp trumpets of the charge stirred, revealing endless killing intent on the other side of the harbor.
Pershing was awakened by the Chinese Charger, and said to Ishihara with a miserable laugh: "I finally understand why you suggested that the overseas Chinese in Manila should be left behind, with them, it would be impossible for Chinese to carry out such a devastating shelling." ”
Ishihara said bitterly: "I never expected that the power of the Chinese's super artillery group was so terrifying. But general, we are not the time to argue about this now, we must leave immediately, if we do not want to be prisoners of the Chinese. ”
General Pershing nodded, he understood very well that even he, a general who had experienced a world war, was like this in the face of the terrifying shelling of the Chinese side, not to mention the other officers and soldiers of the US army? You know, many of them are just new recruits. He looked at the dock and vaguely saw that someone seemed to be shooting at the pier from the water, apparently the Chinese were trying to seize the Manila ship and prevent it from being destroyed by the American army. But now I can't take care of a lot at this juncture.
Pershing's plan for the Battle of Manila turned out to be a one-shot deal, and then it was a rout (to be continued......