It was no secret that the allies held a meeting in Washington, D.C., and as a large amount of information was transmitted back to Japan, the headquarters was furious and immediately discussed countermeasures.

According to the thinking of the commander-in-chief of the intelligence department, Dohihara, no matter what decision the Washington Conference will ultimately make, it is only the Shina Theater that will really have an impact on the Empire of Japan, and the overall situation of the South Pacific Theater has been decided, and the situation of the United States and Britain and other countries will not pose a fatal threat to the Empire for the time being, so it is only necessary to focus on the Shina government.

In addition, Dohihara believed that the trip of the leader of Shina to the United States this time was a great opportunity for the Japanese Empire to get rid of him, so he suggested that the base camp should intercept Chiang at all costs, and it was best to capture him alive.

After careful consideration, the base camp felt that Tu Feiyuan's proposal was very good, so it ordered Tu Feiyuan's intelligence department to undertake this matter with all its might, intercepting Chiang, the leader of China, by sea and air at all costs, and at the same time ordering the Southern Army to speed up its offensive and strive to end the war in the South Pacific at an early date.

After receiving the order from the base camp, the Japanese Southern Army acted quickly, and according to the operational plan of the Southern Army, the Southern Army first took the 25th Army stationed in Thailand as the vanguard force, quickly prepared for an attack on Burma, destroyed the enemy's air base in southern Burma in the early stage of the operation, ensured the safety of the flanks of the Japanese combat troops on the Malay side, and then captured the vicinity of Yangon, destroyed the stronghold of Anglo-Chiang cooperation, and after the battle was over, it would increase its strength to defeat the British army stationed in Burma and strengthen the pressure on China and India.

At the same time, the 16th Army launched an offensive against the Dutch East Indies in order to occupy the largest Allied oil base in the South Pacific in the shortest possible time.

In addition, it is necessary to concentrate naval forces. Deliver the last last remaining Allied naval fleet in the South Pacific and occupy the island of Java.

In attacking Burma, the Southern Army decided to use the main forces of the 33rd Division and the 55th Division as the backbone to undertake the above-mentioned combat missions, with the commander of the Iida Army as the supreme commander. After arriving in Bangkok, the commander of the Iida Army made careful arrangements for the troops that had arrived one after another in accordance with the orders of the Southern Army Command.

ordered the Guards Division, which was originally intended to ensure the stability of Thailand and temporarily under the command of the army, to be reverted to its original formation by rail transportation after September 24; ordered the main forces of the 55th Division, which arrived by rail and march, to assemble in the vicinity of Tak and Mai Sok, and to assemble in the western part of Kanchanaburi with one part; In addition, the 33rd Division was ordered to assemble near Tak Province and be ready to attack Burma at any time.

Meanwhile. After the occupation of Singapore. The Japanese 16th Army quickly landed in Sumatra and Bali. Spread out a frontal posture and launch an attack on the Dutch East Indies.

In the face of the Japanese attack, the Allied side was in disarray. Since Sumatra and Bali were defended only by a Dutch division, the 500-mile-long northern coast of Java was effectively opened to the Japanese. The strength of the US-British-Dutch-Australian air force has now been weakened to only 55 fighters and 85 bombers. The naval force consisted of eight cruisers, twenty-two destroyers, and several submarine columns. Australia faces a growing threat.

Wavell, commander-in-chief of the British forces in India, sent a telegram to London. Assessing the bleak prospects of the Far East, the telegram said: "The loss of Java, though from any point of view, is a serious blow. But not a fatal blow. Efforts should therefore not be made to reinforce Java, which could jeopardize the defences of Myanmar and Australia. However, Wavell's proposal did not attract the attention of Churchill's cabinet.

The succession of bad news had led the British and Commonwealth members to lose confidence in Churchill's cabinet, and they were extremely skeptical that Prime Minister Churchill and his aides would be able to control the "chain of catastrophes" that now threaten not only the Australian subcontinent, but also India.

Coupled with the feud between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Australian Prime Minister Curtin, Curtin immediately recalled the convoy that was carrying Australia's 1st Division across the Indian Ocean upon hearing the news of the loss of Singapore. Churchill then sent a telegram ordering the convoy to be diverted to Rangoon, and told Curtin: "In this dangerous time, the United States will provide you with the greatest support." ”

Despite President Roosevelt's pledge to send more troops, the Australian Prime Minister and his cabinet remained indifferent, insisting that the troop convoy must return, believing that the primary obligation was to save Australia, and that Australia would become the last base against the Japanese invaders, whether it was the Dutch East Indies or Burma.

On the morning of 24 September, the veteran US aircraft carrier USS Langley was transporting a group of fighters to Chiraza when it was discovered and sunk by Japanese planes. Subsequently, the Japanese Combined Fleet approached the Java Sea and attempted to land on the north coast of Java, and the Battle of Java broke out.

The Japanese army attempted to encircle the Philippines and Malaya on both flanks, first capturing the outlying islands of the Dutch East Indies and seizing sea and air supremacy, and then concentrating forces to destroy the main Allied forces, capturing the main island of Java, plundering oil resources, and supporting its war of aggression.

The Japanese army participating in the war was the 16th Group Army, the commander of which was Lieutenant General Jun Imamura, and the 2nd, 38th, and 48th divisions and the 56th independent mixed brigade were under its jurisdiction, with a total strength of about 100,000 troops, and the 3rd Fleet of the Japanese Combined Fleet, the 11th Air Fleet, and the 3rd Flying Group of the Army, with about 540 combat aircraft of various types.

On the Allied side, the Allied Theater Command was formed by the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia, and the commander was British Army General A.P. Wavell. The Allied forces in the Dutch East Indies consisted of 92,000 troops, mainly the Dutch army, with 75,000 men, 88 naval combat ships, and about 300 air force combat aircraft.

The commander of the Combined Naval Forces is Admiral T.C. Hart of the United States, the Commander of the Army Forces is Lieutenant General H. T. T. Pulton of the Netherlands, and the Commander of the Air Forces is Rear Admiral L.H. Cyril of the United States Army Air Corps. The Dutch were deeply disappointed that only one Dutch officer was present at the joint command.

Although the navies of the United States and Britain have suffered unprecedented heavy losses, the remaining naval fleets are still very strong, concentrated in the Dutch East Indies, this fleet has the heavy cruiser "Houston", the light cruiser "Marbehead", the new light cruiser "Powys" and 13 destroyers, as well as 2 light cruisers and 7 destroyers of Australia, Conrad. The Dutch naval fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Helfry had light cruisers "Tromp", "Java", "Root", 7 destroyers and 16 submarines.

Moreover, the bombers of the 10th Patrol Group of the US Navy, the fighters of the Netherlands, and the B-17 Flying Fortress bombers at the base in Java are ready to provide air cover for the Allied Combined Naval Fleet. The only thing that made these generals unhappy was that it was simply unforgivable for the hateful Chinese to refuse President Roosevelt's invitation to let the supposedly powerful naval fleet go south to fight with them.

On the morning of 24 September, the 48th Division of the Japanese Army, which was preparing to land in Surabaya, boarded 41 ships, escorted by mine warfare teams and destroyer fleets, set off from Balikpapan and moved south along the Java Sea with murderous vigour.

At about 1 p.m., the Allied naval fleet in Surabaya suddenly received an urgent telegram: "20 nautical miles west of Maweian Island, 2 Japanese cruisers, 6 destroyers, and 25 transport ships have been discovered, and 65 nautical miles northwest of the island, there are several other Japanese destroyers and transport ships, and there is still 1 Japanese cruiser behind the group." ”

General Durman immediately commanded the fleet to attack, and the Allied fleet consisted of the following ships: the British destroyers "Iltola", "Zhoubit", and "Incont" served as the vanguard, Durman personally led the cruisers "Root", "Exeter", "Houston", "Perth", and "Java" as the middle fleet, and on the left flank were the Dutch destroyers "Wes", "Euphosian", and "Cardenne", and four American destroyers "Edward", "Ford", "Aldan", and "Paul Jens" as the rearguard. Sail out of Surabaya Port.

The Japanese invasion force was divided into two ship groups, an eastern invasion fleet consisting of 41 transport ships, commanded by Rear Admiral Nishimura, and the flagship was the "Nako". The other was a huge fleet commanded by Rear Admiral Takagi, whose flagship was the "Nachi".

The naval battle was dramatic, and Rear Admiral Takagi was surprised when the reconnaissance planes of the Japanese fleet reported the discovery of the Allied fleet, and the Japanese had only 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 14 destroyers due to the dispersion of their forces. Judging from the comparison of the strength of the two armies, the Japanese army did not have an advantage, but in other aspects, the Japanese army had an advantage, and Dulman's communication ability was relatively poor, and there were no planes to conduct reconnaissance, while the Japanese army constantly used planes to conduct reconnaissance.

Moreover, the Allied officers and men had been on combat for nearly two days, and many of them were exhausted, and Durman mentioned in a telegram to Helfrey: "The endurance of my men has reached the limit, and it will soon be exceeded." ”

The Battle of Java was another defeat for the Allies at sea, and after half a day of fighting, the Allies suffered heavy losses, and the two cruisers "Root" and "Java" were torpedoed and sank in flames. Major General Durman on the "Root" could have escaped in a lifeboat, but he chose the decision to sink into the sea with the "Root" and died a heroic death.

In addition, several Allied warships were damaged and sunk, and the originally powerful naval fleet was separated in a very short time. In this battle, the Allied forces to defend the island of Java at sea almost collapsed. (To be continued......)