It is already November 21, and the Cairo conference is about to take place. However, Li Guang could not hear from the mission.

Not surprisingly, the meeting was highly classified. If the heads of state of the United States, Britain and China hold a meeting, if the news is leaked and the German planes or agents come to the pot, it will be a big joke. Therefore, it is reasonable to blockade Cairo and restrict the exchange of telegrams.

At the Cairo Conference, Li Guang had been planning for a long time. But when the time comes, I can't see the live broadcast, which is really a bit of the depression of the World Cup power outage.

However, Li Guang didn't have time to be depressed, there were big people coming to Haitang.

Marshal MacArthur "visited" the Haitang Kingdom. Using the word visit, it seems that Li Guang is a bit of a dog.

According to Li Guang's words, this is called doing what he likes. gave Mai Dashuai face, and Mai Dashuai gave the lining.

The plane in which Mai Dashuai was riding landed in Vladivostok, and the whole regiment of honor guards of 4,000 people came into view. Li Guangke has invested in it, this is the most elite field unit of the Naval Resistance Army, the Xuanjia Regiment. Thousands of men dressed in brand-new uniforms lined up in a phalanx like copper poured iron. The heroic division on the battlefield, with the arrogance of a victorious army, has increased the momentum of the murderous spirit of the war.

Thousands of schoolchildren waved flowers.

Hundreds of journalists, dozens of cameras, hundreds of cameras, firing together, was spectacular.

Headed by Li Guang, hundreds of officials from the military and political departments of the Haitang State were all present.

In addition, the United States' diplomatic liaison personnel in the Haitang Kingdom are also indispensable, and even a group of university professors from the United States were present to greet them.

Originally, MacArthur, as a soldier, did not pay an official visit this time, but had something to discuss with Li Guang. However, Li Guang could not miss such a great opportunity.

Pull the tiger skin as a banner. It is also very useful in the image building of the country. If US President Roosevelt were to go around the Haitang Kingdom like that, Li Guang would even organize 100,000 people. The etiquette will be more solemn.

Even if MacArthur was not a government official, at his level, it was difficult to distinguish between politics and military affairs.

What is the concept of MacArthur's visit in the eyes of outsiders? The United States has close cooperation and harmonious relations.

Maybe the British don't really care. But in the eyes of other small countries, this is the political tendency of the US government.

There are also practical interests, for example, Hai Tangguo wants to take out a loan from the American consortium bank, and MacArthur came to make such a trip, which is much easier to say. If US President Roosevelt came to visit, it would almost mark the recognition of the US mainstream of the Haitang Kingdom. Loans or something, it's like a ride. As for those tattered kings of the Haitang Kingdom engaging in some kind of trade with the US military, it is simply a trivial matter and not worth mentioning.

So, MacArthur was reluctant to speak out. But Li Guang will not let go of this opportunity. Of course, Li Guang is also sure. MacArthur would not be angry.

MacArthur, even the former Emperor of the Philippines, had never seen such a scene. There is no such honor for the US president's visits to other countries. See this scene. The little unhappiness in my heart immediately disappeared.

Mai Dashuai has a desire to perform, and the bigger the scene, the more exciting the performance. So, the presentation is essential.

On the high platform, Li Guang waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

Welcome remarks at the beginning:

This is an American veteran who hasn't been on the battlefield for forty years. (Tout.) Although Makshuai went to the battlefield in World War I, he didn't fight for forty years)

This is a warrior, and he leads by example. (Lao Mai was indeed in a battle, charging directly into battle.) It is also said that a German colonel was also captured. ）

This is the only marshal of the United States. (Yes, MacArthur was a marshal, but he was a Philippine marshal.) In the U.S. military, he is a four-star general, not yet a five-star general. The United States theoretically has the rank of marshal, but no one has it except Washington and Pershing. ）

This is the commander-in-chief of the Allied Pacific theater of operations. (In fact, MacArthur was commander of the Pacific Southwest Theater of Operations, although he claimed to be commander-in-chief, and no one objected.) ）

His subordinates:

Millions of soldiers. (There are indeed numbers of them, but it's hard to say whether they are male or bear.) ）

10,000 fighters (there are definitely more than those on the register, but there are even 5,000 that can actually fly).

Thousand warships (including military boats).

He commanded the Allied forces on the battlefield, and the Japanese were defeated and retreated. (Defeat aside, as for the record of the US Navy, it is ignored here.) ）

He was an American hero.

The great hero, Marshal MacArthur.

When Li Guang finished his speech on the burrs (goosebumps are no longer enough to describe), the audience cheered, "Big hero." ”

In the end, Li Guang also gave Lao Mai a certificate, the first honorary citizen of Haitang Kingdom. This thing is worthless, and what Lao Mai likes is the first one, which sounds good.

Mai Dashuai is an actor, a literate actor, and he doesn't need a draft for his speech, which is much stronger than Li Guangqiang.

It was sprayed for twenty minutes.

The cheers from the audience were just like that: big hero. (Organized)

Only the true nature of the hero. Mai Dashuai is no longer an ordinary actor, but performs in his true colors, and he is such a showy person.

Acting is acting, and getting down to business is getting down to business. Mai Dashuai is still very serious about his work, a general of this level, leaving his command for a day is a great thing, not to mention flying to Datang Island remotely, there is definitely an important matter.

MacArthur and Li Guang's conversation was: "Lee, I need your full help. "Started.

Lao Mai's matter is more complicated, according to Li Guang's analysis, Mai Dashuai is outstanding, this is undoubted, and it is also certain that his IQ is extremely high (this one is in West Point, all his homework is A, even in the 21st century, he is the only one). But his emotional intelligence is actually not high, and his flamboyant personality is really not suitable for being a politician. This guy and many people in politics can't pee in the same pot.

It can't be said that his emotional intelligence is not high, it should be that his political intelligence is not high. At least he was in the army, deeply embraced and loved by American soldiers.

MacArthur's affairs, if put in peacetime, are simply ordinary. That's when the newspapers began to attack him in recent times. This is nothing, and in the United States, it is common for presidents to be scolded. It is really common for him to be scolded a few times as a general.

But MacArthur, who had been tossing and turning in the wind and waves for decades, knew that this was not unusual.

During the war, the press in the United States was also regulated, especially for a senior general of MacArthur's rank, and in order to ensure morale, it was all one-sided praise. The exploits can also be exaggerated, and they will definitely not be reduced.

This is the norm in the world, and this is true in every country.

This is even more abnormal when it comes to MacArthur's command of MacArthur's fiasco in the Philippines.

The United States suffered a crushing defeat in the early days of the Pacific War, and MacArthur's more than 100,000 Filipino troops were discarded by 50,000 Japanese soldiers. But in reality, there are 31,000 US troops. And more than half of them were evacuated, and although they finally surrendered, the battlefield casualties were indeed not large.

It is said that with the comparison between the US and Japanese forces at that time, it was normal to lose. It's not easy to last half a year. At that time, the weapons of the American army were not much stronger than those of the Japanese army, and there were almost no fighters. in terms of personnel quality. The Japanese army is a battle-hardened elite. The U.S. military is a rookie who has never been on the battlefield.

To say that MacArthur was not at war is to excuse him. But if any American general is replaced, the ending will not be a few points better than MacArthur.

Therefore, in the propaganda of the United States, in fact, it is very tacit not to mention such a thing, which is a bit demoralizing. Now to disgust MacArthur with this file, someone is definitely manipulating behind it.

MacArthur had connections. It didn't take long to figure out why.

First, the repression came from politicians, led by President Roosevelt. Actually, this is also to blame MacArthur, you are a general. There is nothing to do, and at some point I opened my mouth to run for president. In four or four years, the United States is going to have a general election, and Roosevelt will continue to push you if he doesn't suppress you?

Second, the repression comes from the U.S. Navy. Although the US Navy and the Navy are not like the Japanese Army and Navy, the competition is also very fierce, and it is normal for them not to buy each other. In the Battle of Saipan, the U.S. Navy won a resounding victory. But the losses are heavy enough, and I am afraid that I will not be able to fight a large-scale battle in half a year. At this time, MacArthur jumped out, and the army and the Seventh Fleet under his command were going to start attacking the city and be the protagonist.

Of course, the U.S. Navy is not happy, the U.S. Navy is desperately fighting, and the Japanese Navy that fought is now also crippled. MacArthur jumped out at this moment, and in the eyes of the US Navy, this is picking up bargains.

Originally, the U.S. Navy was not optimistic about MacArthur's bargain-picking behavior. The navy of small Japan is not so easy to deal with, and a bunch of dirt buns in the army, as well as the Seventh Fleet led by Vice Admiral Kincaid, who has already sat on the cold bench, are estimated to be unable to win.

However, when a hundred pilots and a hundred staff officers of the Haitang Army were stationed in Australia. The US Navy is feeling a real crisis. The combat effectiveness of the Haitang Army and Navy is obvious to all. Especially after MacArthur helped the Haitang Army to reach the Essex-class aircraft carrier, then the Haitang Army had three aircraft carriers (the U.S. military did not know that the Kaga aircraft carrier had been repaired), and the combat effectiveness could not be ignored.

At this time, the mentality of Nimitz of the US Navy began to change, and there were many outstanding generals under him, and it was easy to analyze that such a combined fleet had every possibility of victory. If the fight is smooth, maybe it can really destroy the Japanese Navy.

The U.S. Army wiped out the Japanese Navy, so what else does the U.S. Navy do?

Since then, a sense of crisis has been in my mind.

So, it makes sense to stumble MacArthur a little.

The creation of MacArthur's public opinion was still a trivial matter, and the transportation of supplies to the Pacific Ocean was also affected. Otherwise, why did MacArthur ask the seven-ship fleet of the Haitang Kingdom to help transport it?

As for some of the equipment used by the navy, it is even more stuck. MacArthur could not dig up any other equipment except to get a hundred carrier-based fighters earlier. Not even a couple of submarines can be transferred, and the poor Seventh Fleet, with only two submarines.

As for the other rivalries, they are mainly from the Atlantic theater. These can still be solved by MacArthur's ability. But there are two things, which must be negotiated with Li Guang.

First, MacArthur was suppressed, and the loan promised to help Hai Tang Guo get could not be completed in a short time.

Second, MacArthur decided to play the Philippines instead of Iwo Jima, which was chosen for the island-hopping tactic.

Regarding the first, MacArthur gave assurances. If it's a politician's assurance, it's fart. MacArthur's assurances, however, were anything but ordinary. MacArthur's popularity was not good, but whether it was his political enemies or enemies, most of the attacks in later generations were MacArthur's arrogance. In fact, there are only two that can be attacked in terms of combat performance, one is that they were beaten by the Japanese army Terauchi Shouichi and Honma Masaharu and fled in embarrassment, and the other is that they were defeated by General Peng Dai on the Korean battlefield. So much so that he returned home in disgrace. No one has ever been seen attacking MacArthur's credibility in question.

In this regard, Li Guang gave his trust. Mai Dashuai's posture is low enough, and he is even willing to use his own assets and reputation to guarantee that he will first get tens of millions of dollars in loans for Haitang Kingdom. Of course, Li Guang can't do this, he still has to pay attention to being a man.

Everyone, including Roosevelt, didn't know that the U.S. aid loans had been forgiven almost entirely after the war. Li Guang knows. So loans and loans are not a concept. MacArthur assured that as long as his strategic goal was achieved, the loan would be changed from 200 million yuan proposed by Li Guang to 500 million yuan.

The second question is simple. The same is the island hopping tactic. Although the Philippines is far from the Japanese mainland, it is also the first island chain. The blow to Japan was not weak in the slightest.

And it's far from the Japanese mainland. The danger of the attack should be small.

And, and most importantly, MacArthur was ashamed. Only by re-stepping on Philippine soil can he fulfill his vow after fleeing the Philippines: "I will come back." MacArthur's popularity will climb again.

In a system like the United States, prestige is also power.

Li Guang believes that once he can land in the Philippines. MacArthur's prestige must have risen, and he would definitely be able to help Haitang get a loan.

There is another point, MacArthur did not say, but Li Guang can guess it. Once the US troops landed in the Philippines. It is impossible for the United States not to vigorously tilt supplies to the Army. In the competition between the U.S. Navy and the Army, the Army undoubtedly has the upper hand. The benefits will be unlimited.

On the surface, MacArthur's plan solved all the problems. However, Li Guang's question is: can such a battle be won, and what price will the Haitang army of the Haitang State have to pay.

Although Li Guang was in charge of military affairs in the Haitang Kingdom, such a big matter generally had to be consulted and analyzed with the government and Premier Yuan, and it was necessary to solicit opinions.

However, Premier Yuan cannot be contacted at all now, and Li Guang can only take the idea.

MacArthur's strategic direction was really a bit far from what Li Guang had predicted. You must know that in the plan given by Li Guang, the US military only needs to jump islands to occupy Iwo Jima, and then occupy Okinawa.

In this way, strategically, the connection between the Japanese mainland and the South Seas, the number of troops and materials was cut off. Tactically, the planes dropped bombs on Japan when they were fine, and in the end they dropped two nuclear bombs, and the war was over. Oh, by the way, MacArthur didn't know about nuclear bombs.

MacArthur's goal in changing his strategy for the next step cannot be said to be militarily wrong, in addition to his own humiliating demands for compensation.

Li Guang analyzed the intelligence from all sides, and he could not figure out how much strength the Japanese Navy still had. He only knew from the impression of history that Japan was definitely weaker, much weaker than it had been in the four or four years of history.

As for the U.S. military, it is actually difficult to thoroughly understand the military strength of the Japanese army.

It's difficult to hit Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is close to the Japanese mainland, and the strength of the Japanese army's land-based aviation force should be said to be even stronger. Moreover, the Japanese Navy had a small radius of action, making it easier to support the battlefield.

Just these two items make the US military lack self-confidence. MacArthur was crazy and knew what kind of goods his Seventh Fleet was, and the Seventh Fleet was originally set up to support landing operations, not naval battles. Or what else did MacArthur pull the Shanghai Tang Army do?

MacArthur was also justified in his fears that even with the addition of the Naval Resistance, the coalition forces would not be able to compete with the land-based fighters and navy on the Japanese mainland.

Hit the Philippines. Strategically, once the place is taken, the U.S. military can also cut off the connection between Japan and the South Seas. And, as part of the war, attrition is also an essential process. It is often talked about the turning points that determine the outcome of wars, but before that, countless seemingly strategically insignificant wars of attrition were inevitable foreshadowings of war.

If the strength of the Japanese army can be further depleted on the battlefield in the Philippines, then it will be safer to attack Iwo Jima and Okinawa instead. That's what the U.S. military thinks.

Moreover, attacking the Philippines, the United States has many advantages. The Philippines is not like Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where the US military has said that it knows nothing, but there are no accurate and detailed maps, and military intelligence is seriously lacking.

The U.S. military is familiar with the Philippines, and the MacArthur family has been running the Philippines for two generations, and there are 60,000 or 70,000 Filipino troops in the U.S. military. These units were defeated and retreated in the Philippines at the beginning, but after nearly two years of training, their combat effectiveness has improved considerably.

In short, the U.S. military attacked the Philippines, MacArthur thought it was more certain, and Li Guang's attack on Iwo Jima was a bit risky.

If it is purely the US military to fight the Philippines, in fact, it will have no impact on the Haitang Kingdom, and the impact on the confrontation with Japan will not be great, anyway, it will cut off the communication between the Japanese mainland and the South Seas, and at most the US military will kill a few more people. But pulling the Shanghai Resistance Army, Li Guang was not smooth.

However, Li Guang had promised MacArthur to enter the war, and the plan at that time was to use the air force to continuously consume the Japanese army, and then capture Iwo Jima.

If you think about it carefully, for the Navy of the Naval Resistance Army, the risk of supporting the Japanese forces in the Philippine campaign may be smaller than that of fighting Iwo Jima.

It is clear that MacArthur was unfamiliar with naval warfare. He believed that if the Philippines was fought, the scale of the campaign would be large, and the danger of the naval battle would also be great. But just because it's big and long doesn't mean it's dangerous.

To put it bluntly, whether it is to fight the Philippines or Iwo Jima, it is possible to attack the entire naval force of the Japanese army.

After carefully weighing the pros and cons in front of him, Li Guang made up his mind -- to send troops. As for the long-term impact, Li Guang is not a god, and it is difficult to deduce it clearly.

Intuitively, favorable. (To be continued......)