After receiving the reply that he was allowed to surrender, Brigadier General Justin seemed relieved.

Is it finally coming to an end? This feeling of abandonment is truly disheartening.

Unable to find a working white flag, the soldiers had to find a fairly clean sheet and cut it into several white flags of various sizes.

On the morning of November 1, the reserve headquarters of the Bataan fortress area was ......

Instead of updating the map markers, several staff officers were sorting through stacks of copies of documents and telegrams, which they were stuffed into halved gasoline drums and incinerate.

Brigadier General Justin rummaged through the large suitcase and found a uniform, the only clean set of trousers left. He changed into this uniform and began to shave his face with a razor.

Although it is a surrender, the basic appearance still has to be paid attention to, which involves the honor and dignity of the soldiers.

The artillery fire, which lasted all day yesterday, has stopped, and the Ming army has learned of the surrender of the US-Philippine forces, and the entire front is ceaseing fire one after another.

"Sir, are we going to destroy the technical equipment?" A lieutenant colonel quartermaster asked, "The Chinese warn in leaflets that any vandalism of items will be considered unfriendly. ”

"According to the ordinance and tradition, do it, give the order to destroy."

"Yes, sir. But...... Who is the author of the order? ”

No one is willing to take responsibility for this - if they don't destroy it, they may be charged by their own military courts after the war; Destroy, and the Ming army will anger the person who gave the order.

"I'll sign it." Justin said calmly.

Half an hour later, a Cadillac sedan with a small white flag on either side of the front of the car slowly drove away from the reserve headquarters.

Brigadier General Justin and two officers rode through a shattered, devastated line of defense, the improvised road was potholed, and the car was so jolting that it bumped into the chassis several times.

The soldiers gathered in twos and threes, lying or seated, and their rifles were thrown aside.

Everyone looked tired, but they also looked relieved.

Moments later, the sedan stopped at a corner of the chaotic front.

This is supposed to be a supply depot for the US-Filipino forces, which retreated in a hurry after the collapse of the battle line yesterday and was occupied intact by the Ming army.

Boxes of ammunition were piled up - all but food was actually abundant.

The commander-in-chief of the Seventh Army and other generals arrived, and the surrender ceremony was also arranged, with tables, chairs, water cups, and the national flags of both sides also planted diagonally behind the position.

Brigadier General Justin found that the Star-Spangled Banner was still riddled with bullet holes, perhaps when it was captured.

He immediately proposed to replace it, but it was refused, and the commander of the 43rd Division smiled with a slight sarcasm: "Isn't such a battle-damaged flag just enough to prove your stubborn fighting?" ”

Negotiations between the two sides are going well, and all U.S.-Filipino forces on the Bataan Peninsula will lay down their arms and surrender by midnight tonight.

However, the island of Corrogido and Fort Drum were not in scope, which made the Ming generals somewhat dissatisfied.

Justin demanded that the captives be treated in strict accordance with international law, with fresh food and clean water.

In this regard, Yan Chenwu, who participated in the negotiations, said indifferently: "We must do what we say, and according to the original airdrop notice, those who did not destroy equipment and materials will be treated properly, and on the contrary, they will definitely be punished." ”

"There are no such demanding requirements in international law! The destruction of weapons and equipment prior to surrender is reasonable and is generally permissible by all States. An American colonel who came with him said.

"You are wrong, our DPRK only stated that it follows international law in principle, so it is naturally discretionary in the specific disposition."

At this point, Brigadier General Justin, who had no confidence, had no way to refute it, and they were constantly urged to sign quickly, and soon could not bear the pressure and agreed to surrender unconditionally.

In fact, when the order for the destruction of technical equipment was previously issued, Brigadier General Justin noted special matters, and all remaining gasoline, trucks, and medicines should be kept intact.

Historically, Americans have done the same, thinking that they would be able to ride to the prisoner of war camp, but they were forced to march to the death.

100,000 Allied prisoners were forced to walk to a prisoner-of-war camp more than 100 kilometers away due to chronic illness and malnutrition, a long march that left more than 15,000 dead on the way.

Compared with the unfortunate experience of the prisoners in situ, the current Ming army did not suffer a loss when attacking the Bataan Peninsula, and indeed did not intend to deliberately humiliate the weak, so tens of thousands of coalition captives were undoubtedly much luckier.

Although the industrial capacity of the United States is second to none, in fact, in the worldview of the lower-level officers and soldiers of the Ming army, the United States is only the role of a rich man - relying on the help of France to become independent, and later the capital was captured by Canada and burned to the White House, and finally it became rich by relying on the European war.

For such a rookie opponent, most people have no interest in humiliation and lack a sense of achievement.

On the contrary, the Commonwealth captives captured in Malaya and Singapore were more unlucky, and the British Imperial Army, which was once invincible and invincible, was now completely wiped out.

The Logistics Officer of the Seventh Army, who was in charge of the prisoner transfer, told Brigadier General Justin that the prisoners would be divided into two categories.

Those who followed the instructions and did not destroy their equipment will be transported to the train station by truck before being transported to a prisoner of war camp northwest of Manila; The other group is organized to destroy weapons and equipment, and will walk en masse to the prisoner of war camp.

"God, many soldiers are suffering from dysentery and malaria, and this will kill them!" Justin was taken aback.

The translator next to him coughed loudly and said coldly: "General, pay attention to your attitude and words, you are now a prisoner." ”

The logistics officer was a tall and thin middle-aged man, always with a straight face, and he replied slowly and plainly and formally: "Rules are rules, and what has been told in advance is not to scare people, and it is only when you do what you say you have prestige." ”

"No, no, no, it's murder! Damn, I shouldn't have signed the ...... of the order"

Brigadier General Justin was a little devastated, very disappointed and self-blaming, knowing that it was better to choose to return to China after the war and be held accountable, the gang of politicians in Washington completely abandoned this remnant army, and had no reputation!

The U.S. generals could roughly understand the purpose of this discrimination, but they were both angry and regretful at the thought of the long journey they would face afterwards.

After hard work, the Ming army agreed that the medical personnel of the United States and the Philippines should be the first to evacuate, and set up three temporary hospitals and some ambulance points along the route to the prisoner of war camp in case of emergency.

Because the Ming army hoarded a large amount of supplies during this time, and there were many supplies captured in Manila at the beginning, it was completely sufficient in terms of supplies; At the same time, the US-Filipino coalition also has a large stockpile of medicines in the Bataan fortified area.

Behind the lines, some of the ammunition stockpiles and makeshift warehouses were ablaze, and boxes of thousands of rounds of bullets and shells were destroyed by blasting, and the series of explosions caused flames in many places.

Rifles were set together, poured with gasoline and lit like a bonfire of firewood.

The bolts of the guns were also removed, and thermite incendiary shells were stuffed into the chambers, and the key components of each cannon were melted by the blazing heat of more than 3,000 degrees in the dazzling white light......

Beginning the next day, trucks loaded with coalition prisoners drove across the bumpy dirt road toward the train station to the north.

These men were undoubtedly fortunate enough to reach the train station in just half a day's journey and then to the prisoner of war camp the next day.

Those troops who were found to have destroyed artillery, ammunition, radios, artillery mirrors, generators, and other technical equipment after verification would be separated and gathered on the other side and marched north under the escort of Ming soldiers and armored vehicles.

According to preliminary statistics, the number of units was almost half in half, and at least half of the units effectively carried out the order to destroy the equipment.

Many of the captives were very weak because they were recovering from their illnesses, and those who were suffering from them were even more difficult.

Prisoners with dysentery would have uncontrollable acute diarrhea, and puddles of foul-smelling filth could be seen from time to time along the route of the march.

In the long line with no end in sight, some people sat on the ground with their butts staggered, panting for breath.

Ming officers and soldiers on motorcycles and armored vehicles were next to the team, urging from time to time those prisoners who were sitting on the ground and resting without permission to hurry up.

More than a dozen high-ranking officers, led by Brigadier General Justin, were also in the marching ranks, after all, according to the logic of the Ming army, he was the culprit who caused all this.

On the afternoon of 2 November, after attending a meeting at the headquarters of the Seventh Army, Yan Chenwu returned to the front line by car to prepare to direct the troops to carry out the landing operation in the Corregidor fortified area.

As his motorcade passed an overcrowded ambulance station, several military doctors and nurses rushed out and blocked the way of the SUV.

The sudden brake of "squeak" made the dirt road dusty, and Yan Chenwu, who was taking a nap, raised his eyes dissatisfied.

"What are they talking about?"

"Back to Junzao, it's probably a protest to let the injured and sick go a long way together."

Yan Chenwu was looking at the female military doctor who was pointed at gunpoint by the soldiers next to the car, "What's your problem?" ”

The latter shouted indignantly: "I thought you were a civilized army full of morality, but you ......"

"What's your name?" Yan Chenwu stroked his collar and said lightly: "I don't talk to people who don't understand etiquette. ”

The loud lieutenant raised his hand in salute and gritted his teeth, "Gladys-Hall." ”

In the face of Gladys, who was emotionally and endlessly talking, in all fairness, Yan Chenwu really didn't know how to answer.

He recalled it in his mind, and suddenly thought of the topic he had talked about when he had dinner and chatted with someone Zhou, so he said, "Do you think this is malicious bullying?" On the contrary, I am afraid, you should rejoice in the magnanimity of our DPRK and the imposition of only a small punishment. ”

Gladys found this answer too shameless, and she exasperated: "How shameless! Your actions are murder! ”

"If you want to deliberately kill prisoners, you won't be provided with food, and you won't be asked to open aid points on the road." Yan Chenwu stretched out his finger and pointed, and then said: "'Wise generals serve the enemy' is the purpose of our army, and your destruction of ordnance supplies is a provocation and contempt for our army, so we naturally have to bear the due fault. ”

"I don't understand."

"You Americans were born in a heaven-sent land, with abundant products and extravagance and waste, and of course you don't understand the frugal virtues of the Chinese land for thousands of years. Of course, it is a great mistake for you to destroy the spoils of war you deserve, not to mention that you have already distributed notices in advance, and you have committed it knowingly, which is theoretically a crime of one degree. ”

Damn it! According to this logic, in the end, I have to thank you for your great kindness?

Gladys, who was still angry, shook her head and said: "I don't want to understand the values of the Orientals, I only know that you have signed international conventions, so you must comply with them!" ”

"In principle, we follow the law, as you can see, we have everything to eat and drink." Yan Chenwu didn't want to waste his tongue anymore, so he let the driver drive after he finished speaking.

There are differences in values between the East and the West, and it is clear that people are naturally willing to behave based on their own values.

Next, Corregidor Island, which is no more than a hundred hectares of projectile land, became the first of the two remaining targets of the Ming army.

The island was separated from the land only a few kilometers away, and the Ming army field artillery began to carry out heavy artillery bombardment.

36 144mm howitzers and 36 112mm cannons of the 2nd Field Heavy Artillery Brigade roared in unison; The 192mm heavy howitzers and 320mm mortars of the 1st Siege Heavy Artillery Brigade were even more shocking when they opened fire.

In contrast, the 120th Siege Heavy Artillery Battalion took longer to prepare for the fire, but the movement of the 1st and 2nd Siege Artillery Battalions was shaking.

The 860kg 416mm concrete-destroying projectile was stuffed into the chamber of the cannon through a matching loading crane, and the shell smashed into the target in a curved parabola, like a hammer falling from the sky.

The U.S. forces defending Cordido Island also returned fire, and a fierce artillery battle ensued across the strait.

However, the concrete destruction shells of the heavy mortar were so powerful that the fifth shell fired by Fa Xi 2 at noon on the third day of the artillery battle hit the ammunition depot of the 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, and then caused a series of explosions!

The explosion was as violent as a volcanic eruption, and the white clouds in the clear blue sky seemed to be blackened by the pillars of smoke.

Two infantry units of the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Marine Brigade and a floating combat convoy formed the first echelon and launched the attack at nightfall on 5 November.

The battle began at 19:38, and the Marines jumped out of several landing craft on the shore one after another, and then someone stepped on a mine, and cries for help and killing suddenly resounded on the beachhead.

Immediately after that, another tripping flare was triggered, and the northeast of the island was suddenly illuminated by the flares that rose into the air!

The more than 30 Type 35 floating combat vehicles tasked with supporting tasks were seriously deviated from the high tide and the turbulent currents in Manila Bay, and only a quarter ended up disembarking at the scheduled landing site.

With only the M2HB heavy machine gun as an anti-tank weapon, the U.S. troops were unable to defend themselves against the infantry-tank coordinated Marine Corps officers and soldiers, and the futile counterattack left only a few dozen corpses.

Early the next morning, a disappointed Major General Wainwright ordered the last telegram to be sent, followed by burning the codebook, smashing the transmitter, and raising the white flag to announce surrender.

Now, all that remains in front of the Ming army is the cement battleship that guards the entrance and exit of Manila Bay - Fort Drum.

[Picture]

After learning the news, Zhou Changfeng said with a smile: "It is too naïve for the Americans to expect to use heavy machine guns against combat vehicles. ”

"But the rest of the fortress is also difficult to manage, a few meters of cement." Zhao Hanfeng said worriedly.

"It's not that hard." Zhou Changfeng shrugged his shoulders and said lightly: "Pour some thickened gasoline." ”

(End of chapter)