Chapter 83: The Summer of the Equatorial Ocean (II)

Before World War II, the United States had bases in the Pacific Ocean with two major island groups, the north and the south, as a base for the United States to advance into the ocean. Among them, the Hawaiian Islands, located in the North Pacific, have been world-famous since early times.www.biquge.info The Samoan Islands in the South Pacific are poorly understood.

But in fact, in terms of the strategic position of controlling the Pacific, Hawaii and Samoa are equally important. The former is the home port of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and the core of the North Pacific, and the latter is a wedge for the United States of America to penetrate the South Pacific and deter New Zealand and Australia - Samoa is located in the middle of the Polynesian archipelago in the South Pacific, so it has always been known as the "heart of Polynesia". There are 12 large and small islands, with a total area of 3,144 square kilometers, and its strategic position in the South Pacific Ocean is comparable to that of Sicily in the heart of the Mediterranean.

Among the secondary islands under the Polynesian archipelago, Samoa is the second largest group of islands smaller than the Hawaiian Islands. Like Hawaii, the Samoan archipelago is a volcanic island, with the highest peak on Savai'i Island at 1,858 meters above sea level, so there are many natural harbors, and the coastal areas are narrow and fertile plains that are large enough to support hundreds of thousands of people and provide enough food and fresh water for the fleet of the island's harbors. In the late 19th century, Germany, Britain and the United States fought fiercely over the Samoan archipelago. However, with their abundant strength and geographical advantage of being close to the water, the Americans still had the last laugh in this battle.

The reason why the Hawaiian Islands became famous and well-known to the world in the future, while the Samoan Islands were not well-known and obscure, and their popularity was even inferior to Guam and Saipan, firstly, because the importance of the South Pacific Ocean was not as important as that of the North Pacific, and the scenery of Samoa was not as good as Hawaii, and secondly, the United States "peacefully took over" the British power in Oceania after the war, and there was no fierce military conflict, so naturally it could not attract the attention of the world. In the end, in the "other side of the world", the Japanese army's South Pacific strategy was not strong enough, and it was pushed as far as Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, and it could no longer be pushed. Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands were spared the ravages of war, but they also lost the opportunity to go down in history.

However, in this time and space when the Japanese army was opened by the golden finger, the Samoan Islands finally became the forefront of the confrontation between the United States and Japan. Naval battles, air battles, break-up engagements and landing battles of all kinds have erupted countless times in the vast expanse between Samoa and Fiji. Both sides have exhausted their strength to feed and have staked all their capital...... Eventually, with the U.S. Navy and Army trapped in the Japanese archipelago and the Halsey fleet wiped out in the typhoon, the decisive battle that would determine the fate and future of the South Pacific finally came to decide......

In fact, the Americans have essentially abandoned Samoa, but that doesn't stop them from leaving behind a bunch of substitutes to fight the tank when they retreat.

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South Pacific, Samoan Islands, Savai'i Island

Although the hands of the alarm clock had just slipped into the afternoon, the sky had already darkened, for many dark clouds had gradually drifted in the sky, and small shining silver arcs were rushing and jumping in the distant clouds, cutting through the gloomy sky from time to time, giving vent to the furious energy they had been brewing for a long time.

Thundered!!!

Accompanied by a series of deafening thunder, light gray and purple-gray clouds quickly gathered in the sky over the Samoan Islands, rolling violently, and the sea breeze that had been soothing and refreshing a moment ago also became violent and raging in an instant, and a torrential rain was about to quietly descend again.

However, even the lightning and thunder on the eve of the rainstorm could not hide the rumbling of artillery from the sea: under the combined offensive of the Japanese army, land, sea and air, this South Pacific territory of the United States of America was already in danger - at the same time that the Japanese Army launched the Battle of Melbourne, the Japanese Navy returning to the South Seas also launched a major eastward expedition to attack Samoa, the base camp of the US Navy in the South Pacific!

Because Admiral Halsey and the main force of the U.S. Pacific Fleet under his command unfortunately suffered a devastating blow in a typhoon, sinking 1.8 million tons of ships in one go, and the remnants of the U.S. Navy's capital ships were now forced to retreat to Hawaii...... Therefore, the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy, which was exhausted in large numbers, easily crushed the weak resistance of this weak fleet, and then smoothly rushed into the vast sea from the Cook Islands to the Samoan Islands.

Next, the two largest islands of the Samoan archipelago, Savai'i and Ubulu, became the prey of the Japanese navy.

First of all, the Japanese naval air force flew out in full 10,000 sorties in front and behind, bombing several major oil depots, airports, docks, docks, and radar stations in the Samoan archipelago. After several days of repeated bombing, the entire Samoan archipelago was stunned that there was not even a single usable runway left for the Allies, and even a few high-level roads were bombed into potholes -- in order to ensure that the Allied air power that could paralyze Samoa and the Allied engineers could not take advantage of the air raids to repair the runway, the Japanese Navy planes even dropped a large number of "butterfly bombs" developed by Nazi Germany on various airfields in the Samoan islands, that is, cluster bombs with time-delay fuses, and each aerial bomb was dropped. It can spread countless small time bombs, or small air-dropped mines, like pesticides, and turn the Allied airfield into a huge minefield, so that the sappers cannot repair the runway until the demining is completed, and the fighters hidden in the air-raid shelter can't take off.

After the land-based air forces in the Samoan Islands had been completely suppressed and the air supremacy on the battlefield had been completely controlled by the Japanese army, a huge strike fleet consisting of four Yamato-class battleships, eight heavy cruisers, and more than 30 other ships also approached Savai'i and Ubulu islands with great vigour, and as a prelude to the landing of ground troops, it wantonly poured steel and gunpowder on the two twin islands, which were almost close together.

However, to the surprise of the Japanese Navy, although according to the assessment of the staff officers, even if the US Pacific Fleet has retreated to Hawaii, and even if the Japanese bombers have repeatedly carried out carpet air raids on the Samoa Islands on an astonishing scale, as the most important relay supply station and fleet advance base of the US Navy in the South Pacific, there should still be a considerable number of fortified shore guns built in the mountainside on the Samoa Islands, which have long been fully fortified, and will not suffer much damage in the previous Japanese bombing. Those open-air and semi-open-air shore guns are certainly as fragile as eggs in the repeated bombardment of aircraft, but the problem is that, according to the intelligence reported by the espionage, some of the shore guns on the islands of Samoa have been constructed with solid reinforced concrete artillery barriers, and even buried in tunnels 30 meters below the rocky ground, and fired from the cliffs along the coast. Therefore, when the Japanese naval artillery fleet was gradually approaching the islands of Savai and Ubulu, it was really ready to fight a hard-fought artillery battle.

However, it is very strange that in the actual battle, the coastal defense firepower displayed by the Allied forces stationed in the Samoan Islands was surprisingly weak - to be exact, the shore guns of Savai'i and Ubulu Island almost never fired a single shot from beginning to end!

In the entire Samoan battlefield, Japanese warships were basically raining bullets on one side, while the Allies on the shore were silent and silent.

This strange display of silence made the command of the Combined Fleet feel very perplexed and puzzled, and some arrogant staff officers declared that it must be the American and British ghosts who had long since lost their courage and had lost the courage to fire their guns against the enemy. But more people firmly believe that this should be some conspiracy and trick of the allies defending the island - after so many years of bloody battles, those middle two sick and angry young people who are full of empty words and full of "spiritual power first" are no longer in the navy.

It was clear to the Japanese that their opponents were not only as brave as tigers and wolves, but also as cunning as foxes.

Therefore, after some discussion, the commander of the Combined Fleet, Inoue Narumi, who was suspicious by nature, decided to postpone the date of landing on Savai and Ubulu Islands, prolong the shelling time on the opposite shore, and at the same time send a small reconnaissance force to land on other small islands in the surrounding area to test the reaction of the allied forces in the Samoan Islands. The end result, however, was even more confusing – with the exception of the two main islands of Savai'i and Ubulu, the Japanese found no defenders on any of the remaining islands, but the islands were dotted with beehive-like fortifications...... What exactly is the Yankees trying to do? After spending so much manpower and material resources, and building so many fortifications and tunnels, when it was really time to go to war, they were all lost?

In this regard, Admiral Inoue Narumi felt more and more confused, and he couldn't understand what the enemy was trying to do...... In fact, if Inoue could know what the troops stationed in Samoa are now, then he probably wouldn't be so confused.

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“…… Oh, my God! This is the battleship of those Eastern dwarfs! Where did these stupid yellows steal the technology? ”

On the north shore of Savai'i Island, on a high mountain facing the vast sea, in the midst of a torrential rain of lightning and thunder, Ensign Isaac huddled in a well-camouflaged lookout post, muttering quietly while using high-powered telescopes to reconnoiter the latest movements of the Japanese fleet.

Although due to the continuous rain, the sea surface was covered with mist all day long, and the visibility was very poor. But because the Japanese naval bombardment fleet was already very close, and relying on the vantage point, Ensign Isaac was still able to clearly discern the hazy figure of the enemy through the high-powered telescope in his hand—in the vast rain curtain, there were countless shadows of steel behemoths, pouring fire and steel towards the island: at the head was a row of four mighty battleships, the bow decorated with golden chrysanthemums on the front, and the sunburst flag hanging at the stern. The low, thick triple turret, and the ten-story tall superstructure, lined with secondary guns on both sides, and the front of which looked imposing, were extremely impressive.

Behind them, the overlords of the sea, were followed by more smaller ships, cruising around the islands of Savai and Ublo.

Suddenly, the four Yamato-class battleships shook slightly, the three turrets fired alternately, and the eighteen-inch cannon roared, spitting orange flames towards the island, and the roaring cannon rumbled and shook on the sea. Then, after the artillery corrector gave the correct correction, the cannons of the rest of the ships joined in this devastating chorus, spitting out rows of huge fireballs that roared like express trains, piercing the cloudy yellow sky. Countless projectiles of steel streaked across the sea and landed on the densely vegetated, lush volcanic islands, sending scarlet flames and clouds of smoke into the air.

In order to distinguish their own impact points, each ship used colorful tracer bullets, intertwined with chaotic colored lines, one end of the fleet at sea, the other end of the island of Savai'i, like countless illuminated cars, rushing wildly on a night highway, the scene is spectacular.

Although due to the limitation of the elevation angle of the muzzle, no matter how fiercely these Japanese battleships fought, it stands to reason that they could not bombard Ensign Isaac squatting on the high mountain. However, listening to the rumbling sound on the sea and feeling the slight vibration under his feet, as an Argentine soldier who had not seen a war for about 70 years, Second Lieutenant Isaac, who belonged to the Allied South American Legion, still vaguely felt a wave of fear and hesitation from the bottom of his heart......

Wait, what, what? South American Legion?! Argentine military ?!!

That's right, Second Lieutenant Isaac is an Argentine officer who has just graduated from the academy and has been transferred to the Pacific theater for less than three months.

In general, the attitude of South American countries towards World War II is probably similar to that of Chinese towards World War I. After Pearl Harbor, the speech of the leader of the Uruguayan National Party at the time was said to best represent the voice of the South American people of that era - he said: "This war should be solved by the golden-haired people and the yellow race themselves." Anyway, it's a lion-to-lion fight for prey. ”

In other words, since South American countries can't be lions anyway, and it's good not to be nibbled off like a steak, so why bother?

Therefore, almost all the people of South America have such an attitude of indifference to their own affairs, and they look indifferently at this "other people's war" that has swept almost all other continents, and South America in World War II seems to have become a paradise without gunpowder.

However, in the first half of the twentieth century, the earth had long been closely linked by ships, railways and radio, and even South America could not really watch the fire from across the strait, and was also caught in the whirlpool of World War II to a certain extent - first, South American countries at that time were export-oriented economies (in fact, until the 21st century), and consumers in Europe and North America were their food and clothing, and they could not but consider their relationship with each other; Second, most of the American countries at that time were under the control of military dictatorships, and they were very fond of the ideology of Nazi fascism, and they generally had a close relationship with Nazi Germany before the war.

But the problem is that even on the eve of World War II, the United States was far from controlling South America to a level comparable to that of the nineteenth century, and at least it was almost to the extent that everyone listened to everything they said and could easily overthrow a country's regime with a little effort. In this situation where life and death are controlled by the hands of US imperialism, it is too risky for South American countries to join the Axis powers, and they have no choice but to learn from General Franco of Spain and play neutrality and ride the wall.

After the fall of France and the entry of German troops into Paris, the American ruling class finally realized the seriousness of the problem and found that the American and British camps really had the possibility of losing the war, so they hurriedly used the golden bullet tactic and threw a large number of dollars into South America in exchange for their support for the Allies. There is obviously no doubt whether Roosevelt or Hitler has more money, and even if Germany has the intention of arming South America, its national strength and geographical conditions will not allow it.

As a result, under the bribe of US dollars, Brazil, the largest country in South America with a population of 45 million, completely turned to the United States, not only mobilizing the whole country of Brazil to actively participate in World War II, but even sending volunteers to participate in the Italian landing battle. The Brazilian Navy has also contributed a lot to the Atlantic escort. Countries such as Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela, and Chile are basically the ones who have fallen behind the wall, and their verbal support for some of the Nazis' rhetoric is often just a means to deceive (extort) US aid, and cannot be taken too seriously.

In short, among the South American countries during World War II, Brazil was the most loyal dog leg of the United States, while the other South American countries oscillated between the Axis and the Allies, or more precisely between Germany and the United States, until finally symbolically declared war on the Axis powers.

Among them, Argentina is the most pro-Nazi South American country, and after Pearl Harbor, it refused to even break off diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. In fact, it was precisely because the Brazilians turned to the United States that Argentina's hostility towards the Allies was exacerbated, and the bad relations between Brazil and Argentina at that time, in order to compete for hegemony in South America, were probably similar to those between Saudi Arabia and Iran in later generations, and basically developed to the point that Brazilians ate and Argentines had to eat ♂...... Of course, no matter how arrogant the Argentines are, there will always be arms that can't twist their thighs in this world, and in the month of the fall of Nazi Germany, Argentina still declared war on the Axis powers, so as to mix up the last train of the victorious countries.

However, this did not affect the post-war Argentine Republic, which became the ideal place of choice for the remnants of the German Nazis to flee in exile......

In another time and space, by the time Argentina symbolically declared war on the Axis powers, World War II was almost over. The Italian fascists have gone to heaven, Nazi Germany is already lying in the graves waiting to be filled, and Japan has only half a life left, and there is no need for the South American countries to do anything more. But at this time, although the German Nazis and Italian fascism were gone, the Soviet Union and Britain were still fighting in Europe. And after the Japanese were hit by two atomic bombs, they jumped more energetically, and "clicked" the Yankees who were rushing to pick the fruits of victory into the meat grinder. In less than a year, more than three million Allied troops were killed on the battlefield - as a result, the South American countries that had planned to take the last train to declare war on the Axis powers suddenly sat on wax, and then reluctantly jumped into the fire pit of war under the pressure of the United States.

-- After countless devastating defeats, the dawn of victory has not yet appeared, but the human resources of the United States have been used to the verge of overdraft, in order to let the American boys shed a little less blood and retain a little vitality for the United States, the Pentagon forced the Brazilian government to conscript 3 million soldiers to serve as cannon fodder to participate in the war, and other Spanish-speaking South American countries could not escape the fate of being pulled into the army......