Chapter 11, the death of the country, the ship mother everywhere (I)

Pacific West, 151 8 degrees E, 7.4 degrees N, Caroline Islands, Truk Atoll

A beautiful lagoon of calm seas, like a pool of the purest emerald, surrounded by lush coral reef islands. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

From a geostrategic point of view, the Caroline Islands have always been an annex of the Philippine archipelago. It was originally attached to the Spanish colony of the Philippines. When Spain lost the Philippines in the Spanish-American War, it sold the islands, which could not be sustained, to the Germans.

Truk Island is a volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs, located in the center of the Caroline Islands, in a triangular shape, sixty-four kilometers long on each side, with a lagoon in diameter of thirty to forty nautical miles in the middle. In the center of the lagoon stand twelve volcanic islands, which, although only 300 to 500 meters high, are steep and tall. It makes people feel extraordinary, so it is also called "the mountain in the clouds".

This is an ideal natural mooring ground, no matter how strong the wind and waves are outside, the mountain in the clouds is still calm, it can accommodate many large ships to moor, and there are six channels for ships to enter and exit. Truk Island is also the core of the Caroline Islands, located at the heart of the Central Pacific Ocean, and its strategic position is very important. As long as Truk is held, the east can go out of Gilbert and the Marshall Islands to meet the enemy at any time, the south can collect resources from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the west can protect the line from Palau to the Philippine Islands, and the north can become the barrier of the Ogasawara Islands, the Mariana Islands, and even the three Japanese islands.

To put it simply, the Caroline Islands, where Truk is located, are bordered by the Mariana Islands to the north, including the famous Saipan, Guam and Tinian Road, the Palau Islands to the west, the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands to the east, and the famous Tarawa Atoll is among the Gilbert Islands. To the south is the vast and resource-rich island of New Guinea and New Britain, to the southeast is the Solomon Islands, with its capital on Guadalcanal, and further southeast is New Caledonia, with Nouméa as its capital. Like a brilliant pearl, inlaid in the vast blue ocean.

These islands, and the waters around them, are extremely rich in natural resources. First of all, this seemingly wild sea is actually the world's largest producer of tuna, accounting for more than half of the world's tuna production, about 50% of the world's canned tuna is produced in this southwest Pacific region, in addition to prawns and lobsters. Although agriculture is limited by its small land area, crops in the tropics grow rapidly, still enough to feed at least tens of millions of people, and they can also rely on easy shipping to grow tropical plants such as coconut, cocoa, coffee, and palm locally as trade, and then import rice from the Philippines and Indonesia, wheat from Australia, and meat and dairy products from New Zealand.

Next, from an industrial point of view, New Guinea is a producer of high-quality copper mines, as well as oil and gas. The Solomon Islands has a huge amount of bauxite, and New Caledonia has the highest quality nickel ore in the world. In addition, a considerable number of islands are rich in geothermal resources, which can be used directly to generate electricity, and there are hot springs scattered throughout the islands, which are very popular with Japanese people......

Although due to environmental, human, technological, financial and political reasons, the rich resources of this archipelago and sea area have not been fully exploited, let alone rationally planned and utilized, until the beginning of the twenty-first century. But if one day, a people or a power can rule this vast wilderness, overcome the hot climate and tropical diseases, and master enough technology to exploit and refine these dormant resources. Then, in this fertile sea, there is really the possibility of forming an industrial power!

In the strategic geography of this western Pacific, Truk is equivalent to being in the center of a crossroads, occupying the position of the "Central Plains". As long as a powerful mobile strike fleet is placed here, it can easily control a large and extremely vast archipelago and sea frontier around it.

Therefore, since the end of the First World War, when the Japanese government took over Truk Island from Germany, it immediately designated it as a military exclusion zone and built a wharf in the saltwater lake, a floating dock in the deep waters of the lagoon, and the lagoon became a mooring point for the fleet, and repair workshops, barracks, large warehouses and caves were built on the island, and forts were built on the hills, and the shores were covered with trenches and pillboxes.

In the living quarters of the island, there are also a full range of daily facilities such as cinemas, military shops, green houses, taverns and hospitals, making it a modern small city. Everywhere you go, you can see busy soldiers and workers, as well as thousands of Japanese immigrants who come here to make a living, especially military families. At first glance, it feels like you've returned to Japan. In fact, it is 3,200 kilometers away from Japan, and it hangs alone in the vast Pacific Ocean.

Before the outbreak of the Pacific War, Truk was already the main anchorage of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet out of the South Pacific, and was proudly called "Gibraltar in the Pacific" and "Japan's Pearl Harbor" by the Japanese Navy.

With the outbreak of the Pacific War and the successive victories of the Japanese army, Truk Island and the surrounding islands have changed from the frontier barrier of the Japanese Navy to a safe rear hinterland, and with the help of developed water transportation and unique geographical location, another wave of large-scale construction boom has risen vigorously. Immigrants from within the country and laborers from North Korea and China quickly poured in, causing the population of Truk and the entire Caroline Islands to explode rapidly.

-- Just like the westward expansion of the United States, tens of thousands of poor Japanese people, either forced by their livelihoods or heeded the call of the army, crossed the sea one after another to the legendary "new Japan" of incomparable wealth and built a new world belonging to the Yamato nation.

This is despite the fact that most of the territory of this "new Japan" is still in a pristine state to be developed. Mosquitoes are rampant, drinking water is not guaranteed, rain and typhoons are frequent, tropical diseases are rampant, and volcanoes and earthquakes are often plagued, but the Japanese are not careful, they have long been accustomed to such days, to cramped dwellings, to rough diet, to working in pavilion-like workshops, to living in pigeon-cage-like rooms...... What is not satisfied with being able to feast on sweet potatoes and brown rice in Nanyang, where crops are three crops a year, and from time to time to have a good tuna for tooth offerings?

It was under these conditions that the tenacious Japanese immigrants made full use of their industriousness and wisdom to wage an arduous battle against nature: cutting down trees, clearing wasteland, building dikes, sowing rice, vegetables and melons, raising pigs and chickens, and harvesting shellfish and shrimp...... Along with countless blood, sweat and even bones, rice farms, sugar cane plantations, tobacco plantations, rubber plantations, family farms, salt drying fields, agricultural and seafood processing and trading enterprises, and trading houses have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.

The oil gushing from the bottom of the shallow continental shelf has injected fresh blood into the industrial development and transportation of this land. The asphalt and oil residue left over from oil refining can be used directly to build roads, supporting large-scale road construction in the rainforest area on site.

Countless riches poured out of this sea of bounty, and the port of Truk was greatly expanded, and although it was still heavily guarded and full of cannons, it was already used for both military and civilian purposes, and fishing boats, ocean-going freighters, and oil tankers whistled all day long. In recent years, Truk has not only built more deep-water berths, warehouses and harbour railroads, but has also expanded the island by reclaiming land.

And on the resource-rich, shipping-friendly islands around Truk, a series of modern industrial, mining, shipbuilding and fishing towns are also rising at an unprecedented rate. The glitter of bright electric lights and the roar of various machines completely broke the silence of the tropical desert island.

Iron from Australia and Indonesia, copper from New Guinea, oil from Borneo, nickel from New Caledonia, struvite fertilizer from Nauru, sulphur from various volcanic islands...... The natural resources, which had been dormant for countless years, were exploited by Japanese immigrants and laborers from East Asian countries, and were transported to the emerging industrial bases of the islands, turning them into an astonishing number of manufactured goods of all kinds, and inflating the population of Truk Island like balloons—Japanese-style wooden houses and concrete western-style buildings rising from the ground, and construction sites surrounded by fences or barbed wire.

In just a few years, Truk was no longer just a military fortress, but a well-ordered, thriving port city.

Or rather, the great capital of a new maritime empire......

-- The Japanese nation today is at its most glorious moment in history: they have occupied a vast area of land hundreds of times the size of the Japanese archipelago, and have realized their dream of empire, which has not been realized for thousands of years. Their territory spans Asia and Oceania from south to north, and the Indian and Pacific oceans from east to west. They defeated all the Western powers, from Europe to the Americas, and let the rising sun of the Yamato nation illuminate half of the Pacific Ocean and half of the Indian Ocean! Their fleet is recognized as the absolute overlord of this vast ocean, and the Westerners who have dominated the sea for hundreds of years are swept away and feared!

However, as the saying goes, "there is no 100 days of good sky, and no 100 days of red flowers". At this time, the Japanese, who are full of confidence and pride, do not seem to have seriously thought about whether their current glorious hegemony, which has never been seen before, will suddenly wither like cherry blossoms after blooming like cherry blossoms......

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On the hill behind Truk's Combined Fleet Headquarters, stands an exquisite and luxurious shrine.

-- Japanese-style wooden houses made of mahogany and rosewood, dark red torii houses made of high-quality rosewood, the garden is decorated with the most beautiful corals and shells, and the boxes are inlaid with gorgeous pearls...... The shrine is surrounded by a dense forest of palms, laurels, oaks, and beeches, as well as a mix of myrtle and willow plants. Tropical flowers of bright red, pure white, pea green, golden yellow and purple blue bloom all year round, dotted among the swaying trees and wave-like thatch, as if the shrine is surrounded by colorful auspicious clouds.

This is the "Naval Shrine" laid by the commander of the Combined Fleet, His Excellency Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, and enshrines a model of each destroyer or higher of the rank of the Combined Fleet, which can be adjusted at any time according to the launching of the new ship and the sinking of the battle.

No one knows why His Excellency the Marshal spent money on the construction of such a shrine, but it does fit with the Japanese religious perception that "all things are animist...... Since even old clothes and broken rice jars can be turned into mourning gods, why can't those majestic steel warships give birth to heroic souls?

――There is even an "Electric Shrine" in Japan where Edison and Tesla are enshrined as "Electric Gods"!

Since its inauguration, this "Naval Shrine" has become one of the most mysterious places on Truk Island. This is because it is inhabited by a group of young, beautiful, and mysterious "shrine maidens", some of whom have hair colors and appearances that are clearly different from those of the Japanese...... As a result, rumors spread about this shrine for a while, some people said that it was a Western mistress and illegitimate daughter of the high-ranking generals of the United Fleet, some said that it was a golden nest for high-ranking officials and magnates to enjoy singing and dancing, and others said that it was a female spy training center run by the Imperial Naval Intelligence Agency......

All kinds of crimson fragrant rumors are flying all over the sky, but they are always inconsistent. Because, all the good idlers and spies from all walks of life who try to touch this shrine and peep will end up evaporating from the world and disappearing without a trace...... Over time, this place has become the most mysterious forbidden place in Truk.

However, it must be admitted that the above-mentioned rumors are still slightly touched by reality to some extent.

――Although the "shrine maidens" of the Navy Shrine are far more than just female spies......

It was an overcast early morning, and light gray and purple-gray clouds gathered and tumbled over Truk, apparently with a rainstorm coming.

Obviously, in such weather, no one would want to walk on a slippery mountain path to visit a shrine halfway up the mountain.

Therefore, at this time, there are only a dozen beautiful women of different ages and hair colors in this naval shrine, lazily staying in a tatami mat room, some of them are wearing sailor clothes as a formal dress for Japanese female students, some are dressed as shrine maidens in red and white dresses, and some are wearing colorful embroidered kimonos, each holding a simple black pottery tea bowl, facing the fresh sea breeze blowing from the garden, each closing their eyes and resting their minds. A breeze blew, gently shaking the glass wind chimes hanging under the eaves, breaking the silence in the house, and sounding a crisp and pleasant collision sound......

All of the above makes up a picture of a tea ceremony beauty ukiyo-e that looks like a classical Japanese style...... But in fact, the tea bowl in their hands is not the traditional Japanese matcha or sencha, but the strongest vodka, whiskey, brandy and rum; The reason why they tilt their heads and close their eyes now is not to feel any Zen, but to capture and listen to the invisible radio waves shuttling back and forth in the sky.

In the Earth's atmosphere in 1945, the radio environment was much purer than in the future of the 21st century.

Despite the interference of lightning and thunder in the clouds, after some trial and effort, they managed to capture the broadcast signal of the American radio station thousands of miles away, even in the Truk Atoll on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean.

“…… Zizizi...... President Truman delivered an important speech, in which he resolutely denied the previous rumors about the secret peace talks with Japan, and hoped that all the people would remember the humiliation of Pearl Harbor and continue to support this war of revenge against Japanese fascism......

“…… General MacArthur, who had just won the Melbourne defense, was interviewed and once again openly stated to reporters that the defeat of the Japanese in Australia was only the beginning, not the end. He will inevitably set foot on Philippine soil again with the soldiers of the United States. Given General MacArthur's current record and the current situation in Australia, reporters on the scene expressed cautious optimism......"

“…… The Pacific Fleet Command released its latest battle report, announcing that it had destroyed a Japanese submarine off the coast of Midway on 15 June. ”

“…… In a recent speech, President Roosevelt's widow once again called on women to come out of their homes and do more for the country with their hands. ”

“…… In order to maintain the war consumption on the Pacific front, the gasoline ration in the contiguous states of the United States will be reduced by another 10% next month. ”

“…… The American Red Cross is recruiting the third group of volunteers this year to be sent to southern Italy to help war refugees. ”

“…… The vanguard of the Spanish intervention forces was bombed by the Soviet Air Force in Toulouse, southern France, and a major general was killed. ”

“…… The Zionist Movement (ZIM) committed another crime in Jerusalem, blasting a local barracks and killing 10 British soldiers. ”

“…… Frontline correspondents in Rome reported that the Bolshevik regime's brutal social reforms and illegal confiscation of private property in the major cities of northern Italy led to a very serious humanitarian tragedy and a massive exodus of tens of thousands of middle-class Italian families......"

“…… Large-scale anti-war demonstrations broke out again in London, England, with 100,000 people reportedly taking to the streets. The London authorities dispatched mounted police to suppress and disperse the crowd, arresting at least 1,000 people at the scene...... Attlee, the leader of the British Labour Party, issued a statement condemning the atrocity......"

“…… Today is the first anniversary of the founding of the state of Hawaii, and in order to thank the people of Hawaii for their tremendous contributions and sacrifices in this war, on this day last year, Congress voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill to advance the Hawaiian Islands to state......"

“…… Here's what we need to know about the day. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who is currently in turmoil of cabinet collapse and facing a political crisis, rushed to New York yesterday to attend a preparatory meeting for the United Nations, and despite the fatigue of the journey, he held a press conference at the New York airport and delivered a speech on the situation in Europe. Highlights include the threat posed by the Soviet Union and Red Europe to the world, as well as the leadership responsibility of the United States for the free world. Now play the recording ......"