Senior General Ito, deliberately whetted everyone's appetite and released a news that made all the senior Japanese generals who attended the meeting excited, and they all stretched their necks and looked at His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief with a look of expectation.

After Ito finished speaking, he nodded and signaled to the chief of staff of Kawashima, Kawashima stood up calmly, no one dared to despise this chief of staff with gold wire glasses and politeness, although he was only a major general, one level lower than the army commanders and division commanders present, but this person was a figure who said nothing in the general headquarters of the Imperial Southwest Pacific Dispatch Army, and the chief of staff of Kawashima proposed to build a yì or say it, on any occasion, Commander-in-Chief Ito did not refute it.

It's not just as simple as obeying words, with General Ito, who has been in Southeast Asia for many years and has experienced the ups and downs of life, the momentum of Major General Kawashima's superiors has become more and more obvious, he looked around at the generals and said: "According to the reliable information provided by the General Intelligence Bureau of the Imperial Base Camp, the 100,000 British and Australian troops stationed in Australia are already assembling and preparing to go to the battlefield on Luzon Island to fight against our Imperial Japanese Army!" ”

The Japanese generals were in an uproar, and there was a feeling of being fooled, what kind of fart good news, isn't it the Americans increasing their troops on the Luzon battlefield, and the good news, the empire's troops on the Luzon battlefield were originally less than the Americans, but now it's good, another 100,000 enemy troops came, which increased the difficulty of conquering Manila, saying that it was bad news, to the veritable name, I don't know what happened to Commander-in-Chief Ito today, doing some unreliable things!

Ito was silent, watching the reaction of the generals, he understood this situation, at the beginning, the base camp gave the order. When he didn't let himself kill MacArthur that Yankee in one go, didn't he also ignore, make trouble, and have great resistance, but now it seems that the decision of the base camp is based on strategic considerations, and his own focus is on the results of the battle.

Even the supreme commander of one of his own theaters of war. I can't understand the intentions of the base camp, how far can these army commanders and division commanders see, and after Takashima sat down, Ito cleared his throat. He said, "Are you surprised? How can it be good news that the enemy has come to send reinforcements? ”

The ears of the Japanese generals who attended the meeting. Immediately put it up. Yes, you, Commander-in-Chief Ito, have made such a fuss in the clouds, who knows what you mean, we can't guess the answer to this mystery. It's better for you to uncover it yourself!

Ito's eyes lit up suddenly, and he said, "Gentlemen, do you think that the strategic plan of the Great Japanese Empire. Is it just an eye on a few existing islands? No, by no means, if you think so, it is a manifestation of unambitious ambition, and it is also a judgment that lacks strategic vision! ”

As he spoke, Ito left his seat, walked to the large map, pointed to the location of Australia, and continued: "The last blow of the empire against the British and American forces in the southwest Pacific theater, here, the vast Australian continent, only by inlaying this pearl in the Pacific Ocean on the map of the Great Japanese Empire, can we proudly say that the entire Pacific Ocean has become the inland sea of the Great Japanese Empire!" ”

"Previously, because of the consideration of secrecy, I did not disclose it to you, but now, the battle situation in the Southwest Pacific Theater has entered a new stage, it is necessary to let you understand the strategic deployment of the base camp, and send more than 800,000 troops to the army, after the end of the battle on several other islands, why not reinforce the Luzon battlefield, so that the 14th Army can face the superior American army, I remember, among you, there are still people who have complained about this!"

"I can now tell you clearly that the battlefield on Luzon Island is a huge bait, and the US military MacArthur on the island has not taken encirclement and annihilation actions for the smooth implementation of this strategic plan, and you can imagine that the Imperial Army has formed a huge pressure on the US troops on Luzon, and in order to keep Manila and use it as a bridgehead for the subsequent counteroffensive, US Commander MacArthur will inevitably transfer troops from the Australian mainland to increase his own strength."

"Once Australia's British and Australian troops are transferred to the Luzon battlefield, then, in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java, more than 800,000 troops from the six armies of the dispatch army that have been resting for more than a month will directly take Australia with empty troops, and in this way, the American, British, and Australian troops on Luzon will also fall into a desperate situation.

Hey, General Ito Yanzaburo's words, like seeing the sun through the clouds, swept away the doubts in the hearts of the Japanese generals, Australia, my Apoyasu, that is a continent much larger than several islands combined, such a grand strategic plan, others can't think of it anyway, only we are comparable to God-man, the wise emperor Xià, can have such a decision.

The Japanese generals were so excited that they were almost crazy, and they didn't know which one of them was like a chicken blood, so they stood up and shouted: "Long live!" Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live the Great Japanese Empire! Immediately afterwards, all the Japanese generals followed the devil, but this shout, wave after wave, almost overturned the tent, and made the Japanese guards standing guard outside look at each other, I don't know what kind of nerves these generals who are high up on weekdays and have stinky expressions on their faces, it can't be the emperor's majesty Xià manifestation?

Ito and Kawashima glanced at each other, and they both saw the satisfaction and pride in each other's eyes, this was originally a routine that the two of them discussed, and now it seems that the effect is surprisingly good, even exceeding the expectations of the two.

Ito raised his hand elegantly, just right to stop the generals who were already a little crazy, and said in a somewhat stern tone: "Gentlemen, the next battle will be even more cruel, because before you are very sure that you can completely annihilate the air power of the Americans, your troops, when attacking, still need to endure the air raids of the American planes, I hope you have the necessary psychological preparation, and you must be sure that the price we pay today is worth it!" ”

Yoshihiko Haruta was the first to stand up, "snapped" upright, and said passionately: "Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, the department can assure you that the 14th Army will carry out your orders to the letter, even if it is at the cost of fighting again, it will not hesitate, and the department has only one request, the task of attacking Manila will be handed over to the 14th Army!" ”

Ito laughed and said in a loud voice, "I want the west!" Haruta-kun, your courage and heroism make me admire, the warriors of the 14th Army will be the first Imperial troops to enter the city of Manila! The meeting ended with very good results, and then the Japanese generals returned to their respective units overnight to prepare for tomorrow's attack!

Senior General Ito Yanzaburo, on the other side of the Calais Mountains, Major General Whiteman, commander of the Third Army of the US Army, was not idle, and in a large cave, he was also holding a military meeting, but compared with the high local morale of the Japanese generals, the sentiment of the US generals was obviously much lower.

Don't look at the fierce fighting all day during the day, all the US troops who held the defensive line did not lose an inch of land, and moreover, they also severely damaged the Japanese troops, and the corpses of the Japanese soldiers in front of the position were not an illusion, but, I don't know why, more than a dozen US generals just have no bottom in their hearts!

Before the meeting began, Major General Whiteman and General MacArthur had a phone call, in which General MacArthur was very satisfied with the Third Army's performance today, and praised it greatly, but Commander Whiteman obviously did not have such a high level of affection, and in a day of fierce fighting, he could be regarded as having seen the bravery and combat effectiveness of the Japanese soldiers, as if he had eaten an elixir, and did not take his own life seriously! Rushing up with a rain of bullets.

If he hadn't forced the First Air Force to dispatch most of the planes to help, whether the Third Army could hold its position, only God knows, in just one day, he suffered more than 10,000 casualties, what next?

Therefore, on the phone, Commander Whiteman said: "Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, after a day of fierce fighting, our troops have suffered more than 10,000 casualties, and if it continues to be consumed like this, my troops can hold out for a few days, I don't know if they can hold the defensive line, for the sake of safety, please Commander-in-Chief, send reinforcements immediately!" ”

Before Fernandez's 100,000 troops arrived on Luzon, MacArthur's own forces on hand to maintain the Manila defense line were also overstretched, and of course he would not give Whiteman more troops, he said to Whiteman: "Dear Whiteman, don't be so pessimistic, you still have more than 70,000 soldiers in your hands, enough to support me until I complete my orders, and if necessary, I will send planes of the Second Air Force to support you!" ”

Commander Whiteman, suddenly shuddered, a chill, irrepressible, spread from the depths of his heart to the whole body, Commander-in-Chief MacArthur's meaning, it couldn't be more obvious, is to let himself fill in with the lives of soldiers, the Third Army is gone, his order is also completed, fight 10,000 people a day, just right, his own Third Army, if it continues to fight like this, it can withstand seven days, but what next? Do you still need yourself, a major general, who also holds a submachine gun and fights with the Japanese?

MacArthur's viciousness and ruthlessness made Commander Whiteman's heart chill, he was going to sacrifice the Third Army, for his plan to defend Manila, to gain time, the Seventh Army and himself, both became victims of his crazy plan, became an outcast, put down the phone, Captain Whiteman hobbled to the venue, there, there were more than a dozen subordinates in a mental state, who were not much better than himself, waiting for their own ideas!

(To be continued) (To be continued.) )