Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Last Battle to Conquer Australia (Part II)

Fifteen kilometers west of Cape Shank, the Molrington Peninsula, the town of Sorrento, the last Allied position on the Australian continent

The winter rains have finally stopped for a while, allowing this small land surrounded by sea water on three sides to rediscover the breathtaking scenery. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

The vast sea, which changes from turquoise to light blue, shone in the brilliant sun, and from a distance looked as bright and soft as the finest silk, rippling slightly in the crisp morning breeze, and then turning into waves, surging towards the shore, crashing against the reef of the sea, making a crisp sound of the waves, and splashing snow-white foam. Everything is so refreshing that people can't help but indulge in it.

However, behind this magnificent beauty, there are many murderous opportunities and gloom. In the midst of the mesmerizing choppy waves, the wreckage of wrecked planes and ships was floating and sinking, leaking large black oil stains on the surface of the sea. The small fishing port and dense woods on the shore have long been burned by the flames of war, leaving only a series of blackened and ugly bomb craters with uncooled embers, curling smoke in the sun.

-- With a whistling sound piercing the air, another group of Japanese dive bombers with symmetrical round sun logos painted on their wings spread their wings from the northern skyline and began to bomb the Allied positions intensively, dropping more incendiary bombs on the already devastated Mornington Peninsula.

The next moment, the wooden houses and woods on the ground burst into flames, at first one by one, then one by one, and finally completely into a sea of fire. All kinds of howls, screams, and explosions are all in one piece, making people's scalps tingle to hear. From time to time, a few unlucky eggs covered in fire stumble out of the woods and fall on the sand, turning into a pile of charcoal or roasted meat. Or get lucky enough to throw yourself into the sea, and wail half-dead for a long time.

In the underground cellar of a beach hotel temporarily requisitioned by the Allies in the fishing port town of Sorrento, under the flickering dim kerosene lamps, Australian Premier John Brown. Lord Katyn paced up and down the square inch of the land with an anxious expression, like a lion in a cage.

At this time, on the front-line battlefield, the guns were silent again. But this was nothing more than a temporary truce between the two armies. On one side were the three Japanese divisions that were well organized, had abundant troops, and were well supplied; On the other side is the Anglo-Saxon Triple Alliance (US-Australia-New Zealand Alliance), which has no way to retreat, starvation, and is scattering, fleeing, committing suicide and surrendering sporadically, with a total strength of less than 10,000 at this time, and its vitality is greatly damaged, and its technical weapons are completely lost. Those who survived are exhausted by the taste of war, so what will happen next? It's chilling.

In the face of the overwhelming Japanese army, the Australian allies no longer had any strength to fight back. The sea no longer belonged to them - all the motorized ships of the Allies that could sail had been destroyed, and not even the sampans remained. The skies were also in the hands of the enemy, except for the occasional American plane, taking advantage of the thick clouds, to break through the blockade, hurriedly drop a little symbolic material, and then turn and run...... The enemy has forest-like ships, cloud-like planes, and a steady stream of soldiers, while the Allies have nothing, and they can't even fight their opponents.

Although the Japanese were not attacking much at this time, the last few ground offens were superficial - they seemed to be still trying to reduce their own casualties by continuing to "soften" the Allies with bombardment, shelling, poison gas, and starvation. But the Allied forces on the Mornington Peninsula could no longer hold on, and everyone was deaf from the blast, their hands and feet were weak from hunger, their bodies were blackened with gunpowder smoke, covered with dirt, and most of their faces were still covered with blood scabs. The soldiers were emaciated, the officers were sleepwalking, they could barely eat, drink, sleep, and have little ammunition left. If you want to ask them what they want at this moment, I am afraid that it is to eat a good meal, drink a good bottle of wine, and then sleep with their legs stretched out, and move directly to God.

In fact, if the enemy on the opposite side was not the Japanese army, but the army from the "civilized countries" of Europe and the United States, they would have surrendered long ago.

Such a bleak status quo made John. Prime Minister Katyn became more and more depressed, and no longer had the heart to make any impassioned speeches or hysterical rants. After moving to Sorrento, he spent his days hiding in an airtight wine cellar, avoiding people. He was reluctant to pay attention to the wails of the front-line soldiers and the bad news of their successive defeats. And the dull and numb eyes of the soldiers and civilians when they occasionally saw him made Prime Minister Katyn feel even more sad.

-- If, at the time of the withdrawal from Melbourne and the retreat to Cape Shankke, John . . . His Excellency Prime Minister Katyn was somewhat lucky, hoping that a powerful American ally would save him, but now that he was trapped in the town of Sorrento, he was completely desperate.

But, even so, John. Prime Minister Katyn continued to send telegrams to President Harry S. Truman at the White House in Washington, asking them to woo the Australians in any way for the sake of the special relations of the English-speaking countries, and the desperate plea jumped on the page: "...... Has Washington decided that the Australian battlefield is irrelevant to the final outcome of this war, and therefore does not need to count on aid here for now, or at least not until the resistance is exhausted? If that's the case, I hope you will give me an accurate answer, because I have a responsibility to my own people. If I can't lead them to save their homeland and win, then at least I can die with them for this country......"

So, despite the fact that Australia was already regarded as an outcast, President Truman sent the submarine "White Pomfret to send Evans". Colonel Carl Xun......

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

This is simply another Bataan Peninsula...... Or rather, a hell on earth shrouded in death and hunger!

After setting foot on the last Allied positions on the Australian continent, Evans Browns, who served as the president's special envoy on an interim basis. Colonel Carl Xun had the above impressions.

In this war-torn land, there is an atmosphere of despair and oppression everywhere, which is almost overwhelming.

-- Almost all the soldiers I saw along the way, whether Americans, New Zealanders, or Australians, were sloppy, yellow-skinned, or even skinny. And the civilians are as thin as skeletons. According to the Australian major who accompanied the reception, the food reserves on the Mornington Peninsula were now almost exhausted, the civilians had no rations to distribute, and the soldiers were only rationed one meal a day.

Therefore, these civilians are already hungry and their eyes are green, and in order to get something to eat, they have long been unable to care about decency, and even risk their lives. Colonel Karlsun saw several women fighting over a fish that had been blown ashore, and a group of emaciated children crouching on the garbage heap, carefully grasping the food scraps from discarded empty cans with their fingers. Then carefully and carefully lick off the food from your fingers......

Next, Colonel Carl Xun encountered several numb-eyed American soldiers, who were hauling a cart full of corpses to the beach. They unloaded the bodies onto the cliffs by the sea, then took off the clothes and shoes of the deceased, left them to keep the living warm, and finally threw the bodies directly into the sea, which were so weak and shaky under the torture of long-term hunger that they no longer had the strength to dig a pit and bury the corpses.

In fact, these people who dispose of the corpses already look like walking corpses, without the slightest bit of life...... However, as soon as they noticed Colonel Karl Xun and the sailors who followed the colonel, their eyes immediately sparkled with hope, and even cheered excitedly!

Unfortunately, children, there are only a limited number of empty seats on the submarine, and I am afraid I will not be able to save you...... Colonel Carl Xun bowed his head gloomily and walked away quickly.

Then, in the town of Sorrento, Colonel Carl Xun went to see the town's church, which had been requisitioned as a hospital for wounded soldiers, and what he observed was even more tearful - the roof of the church had already been blown off by enemy planes, and the rain poured down, and hundreds of wounded soldiers in ragged clothes could only lie in the dirty mud, all so dirty, emaciated, emaciated, and staring blankly...... Now the nurses and doctors, who are themselves half starved to death, have neither medicine nor strength to deal with them, so these fellows can only lie here and wait to die, using lunch boxes to catch some dirty rainwater from the eaves and corners of the walls to drink, and not even the most basic care. Many patients suffering from dysentery and typhoid fever are so weak that they cannot walk at all, and they cannot go out to the toilet because they are already hungry and sick, so they can only solve it on the spot, and their whole body is covered with their own stool. This will undoubtedly further accelerate the spread of the disease......

However, it was these ragged, hungry and sick guys who lacked food and clothing to withstand the onslaught of the brutal Japanese army on the isolated and helpless Australian continent - the enemy had planes that covered the sky and the sun, huge ships with strong armor and artillery, and a steady stream of supplies, while the Australian allies had nothing, but they still poked here with their love for their homeland. Although he has been defeated repeatedly, he still fights to the death.

Unfortunately, there is still a limit to the spiritual power of human beings. When the prospect of war is utterly hopeless, and the end of destruction is at hand, even the most indomitable warrior will feel disheartened, and despair and fear will retake the hearts of each of them......

-- The Australian Federation, which belongs to the white West, is now destined and is about to come to an end in the long river of history.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

When Colonel Carlson was in an underground wine cellar in the town of Sorrento, he met with the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, John Brown. Katyn, as expected, saw a tired, depressed, emaciated, and decadent emaciated old man. Days of hard fighting had apparently tormented him to the ground.

However, after learning that Colonel Carlson's submarine had successfully broken through the Japanese naval blockade and brought himself about thirty tons of food, ammunition and medicine, John Brown. Chancellor Katyn suddenly became energetic, and shook Colonel Karlsun's right hand tightly as if he saw the angel who saved him descend in front of him...... However, when Colonel Carlson took out President Truman's handwritten letter, he invited John. When Prime Minister Katyn went to the United States to form a government-in-exile, he was in a state of flux, and then he was furious: "...... That's impossible! I will never be a coward who is greedy for life and afraid of death! We can keep fighting! As long as we live, the yellow-skinned dwarf won't want to take this land! ”

“…… If your soldiers had bullets in their guns at all times, shoes on their feet, enough to eat on their stomachs, and planes over their heads, the peninsula might have been able to hold on for a while. Unfortunately, none of these prerequisites exists...... I admit that your troops have fought valiantly, but if they continue to fight barefoot and hungry as they are now, they will not be victorious! ”

Colonel Carl Xun unceremoniously retorted, "...... Underwater smuggling with submarines like the one that is now not going to bring you much at all is better than nothing, and it doesn't always succeed. So you are destined to be unable to consume the Japanese. Let's face it! Your Excellency, you should go to Washington, go to London, and do more meaningful things for your people! ”

“…… No! I'm not leaving! Even if the future of this country is completely hopeless, I will live and die with the people who trust me! I am ready to die with my men. Including the grenade that exploded with the enemy. "John. Prime Minister Katyn gestured to the drawer beside him.

“…… But what's the point? For a person of your status, suicide does not represent courage, it only proves your cowardice, shows that you do not have the courage to face the failures of the past, let alone the confidence and perseverance to overcome many difficulties and turn defeat into victory......"

Listening to Colonel Carlson's rebuke with a gun and a stick, John. Prime Minister Katyn gradually calmed down, and no longer insisted on staying here, but he did not immediately agree to go into exile in the United States - after all, he still had to show that he had the courage to die for his country.

“…… Well, I admit, there's not much point in continuing to stay here. But even so, the Commonwealth of Australia has not yet fallen...... Why not retreat to Tasmania and organize an anti-Japanese government nearby? ”

- Retreat to Tasmania? What does this do? Don't you feel too good about yourself?

Listened to John. When Prime Minister Katyn said this proposal, Colonel Karlsun immediately wrinkled a bitter gourd face.

-- Tasmania is located in the southeast of the Australian mainland, across the 240-kilometer-wide Bass Strait, and Melbourne in the distance. The island covers an area of about 90,000 square kilometers, which is more than twice the size of the island of Taiwan, and is famous for producing platypus and lobster. At first glance, this island is not small, and the product conditions are not bad, and it seems that it can be used as a base for counterattacks. But the problem is that even the Australian continent itself is full of wilderness and sparsely populated land these days. Of the 8 million square kilometers of land, only 7 million people live, and the population density is similar to that of Tibet, China.

On the island of Tasmania, which was more remote and had harsher climatic conditions, the population was even smaller, with just over 200,000 permanent residents, and primeval forests everywhere -- this place was actually just like Alaska in the United States, which only looked quite large on the map.

To add insult to injury, in the past few years of war, in order to maintain the attrition of the front line, the Australian government has cleverly requisitioned a large number of strong men from Tasmania, the only relatively safe rear, and transferred almost all the strategic materials that can be squeezed out. Now the island has almost nothing but orphans and widows, even arable land is deserted, and everyone is as hungry as the citizens of Melbourne - on the Australian continent, the Allies can finally gather a group of soldiers ranging from fourteen to forty years old, armed with weapons aided by the United States, and play with the invading Japanese. If you continue to retreat to Tasmania, then John. Prime Minister Katyn may have no choice but to let a group of unarmed Scouts and Girl Scouts resist the Japanese landing......

What's more, according to the recent war exercises of the US Pacific Fleet Command, before the Pacific Fleet's strength is restored, the Japanese Navy and Army can do almost whatever they want in the Southwest Pacific Theater and are invincible. Even New Zealand, which is 2,000 kilometers away, is likely to fall and change hands in this wave of Japanese attacks, not to mention the island of Tasmania, which is located on the other side of the Bass Strait, which is close at hand.

To put it simply, retreating from Melbourne to Tasmania is the equivalent of jumping from one dead place to another, and there is no point at all.

However, before the special presidential envoy, Colonel Carlson, could figure out what kind of wording to use to dispel John. Prime Minister Katyn's whimsical idea, his head is bandaged, his face is yellow, and he looks like a skeleton of the Australian Commander Thomas. Admiral Bremi barged in with a telegram, "...... 100,000 urgent! Excellency! There's new bad news again! A Japanese army has just crossed the sea and landed on Tasmania! Stormed Hobart, the island's capital! ”

Colonel Carl Xun and John. Prime Minister Katyn: "??! ”“！！！”

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Just when the general situation of the battle in Melbourne was decided, the adventurous Admiral Yamashita Fumi, despite the stubborn resistance of the remaining remnants of the enemy, sent another division of troops to continue the southern expedition to Tasmania, and successfully landed and attacked the capital Hobart under the cover of the combined fleet's earth-shattering artillery fire!

In the face of the menacing Japanese invaders by sea and land, the local authorities of the Australian Federation on Tasmania were extremely powerless, because the last bit of the Australian army's vital force was trapped in Melbourne, and the island at this time had neither troops nor weapons, and coastal defense fortifications were better than nothing. In the end, young women could only be allowed to carry obsolete old rifles to the beachhead and the countryside to stop the enemy...... Such a trivial resistance, which can be described as "using the mantis arm as a car", is polite, and can only be said to be a loud pretense to give oneself courage, which only has symbolic significance in terms of tactics.

Thus, under the earth-shattering cannons of dozens of Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, resisted for less than a day before it fell, and most of the women who had temporarily picked up their rifles either fled in haste or surrendered numbly - although the island was too large for the newcomers to effectively occupy such a large area of land at once, some of the most tenacious men took the opportunity to escape from the city, dispersed into small forces, and infiltrated into the countryside and mountains to continue their guerrilla warfare, But this is no longer enough to reverse the entire strategic defeat.

-- As a matter of fact, it was precisely because of the division of troops to cover the land of the army crossing the sea and landing in Tasmania that a considerable part of the Japanese fleet in the waters outside the outlet of Phillip Bay was withdrawn, and the blockade was temporarily greatly weakened, and Colonel Karlsun's submarine "White Pomfret was able to sneak in......

In short, after the bad news of the fall of Tasmania, the last bit of confidence in the Australian military and political leadership was also shattered. Colonel Carlson finally succeeded in carrying out his mission. Led by the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, John Brown. Katyn, Commander of the Australian Army, Thomas. Admiral Bremi and several other high-ranking Australian government officials, as well as their families and confidants, boarded the submarine "White Pomfret at night" and left the Australian mainland forever.

And behind them, with the flight of the Allied leadership in Australia, the Australian Federation, which had been struggling for several years, also came to an end......