The Rise of the Third Reich

"How could this happen? How is this possible?"

Just when Japanese devils such as Yamamoto Isoroku and Nagano Shushen were surprised by the heavy losses of the Japanese navy, US President Roosevelt was also surprised.

He was not surprised by the loss of Arleigh Burke's fleet - one heavy cruiser, four destroyers, 11 landing/transport ships and three T2 tankers were nothing at all. Can we still fear this loss in a confrontation with the powerful Japanese Navy?

What really surprised President Roosevelt were the damage reports from the 2nd Marine Division that landed on Palmyra Atoll.

Thanks to the victory over Midway Island without any blood, the US military was full of optimism about the Battle of Palmyra Atoll. It is believed that it is impossible for Japan to deploy heavy troops on Palmyra Atoll, and it may leave without a fight like Midway.

In fact, these Americans got it right. The Japanese did not put many troops on Palmyra Atoll, only less than 2,000 people. Moreover, the main fort on the island was silenced by US battleship guns before the landing operation began.

Therefore, the officers and soldiers of the 2nd Marine Division who landed did not think that there would be any fierce battle at first. It seemed that as long as their "Duck" amphibious armored vehicles, LVT amphibious armored vehicles and M4 amphibious tanks (modified from M4 medium tanks) rushed to Bar. On the beach of Mira Atoll, it seemed as if the battle would end immediately.

But no one expected that a bloody battle would be waiting for them on Palmyra Atoll. Previously, naval guns had destroyed only a few forts housing 203mm heavy guns, but not the light artillery and T-34 tanks hidden in the dense forests on the islands and reefs.

So when the US landing force stormed the beachhead, the Japanese 75mm, 70mm artillery and various mortars came all over the place, sieving a large number of amphibious vehicles and landing craft with little armor defense. The U.S. troops in the car and on the landing craft suddenly suffered heavy casualties. And when the surviving U.S. troops rushed to the beach under the cover of naval guns, the T-34 tank driven by the Japanese staggered and roared out of the dense forest, using the 76.2 tank that had long been powerless on the European battlefield. mm artillery bombarded the U.S. military.

Although this cannon is not of much use against the M4 amphibious tanks modified from the M4A3 series tanks - the thickest part of the frontal armor of the M4A3 reaches 76.2mm, and it is also tilted, and the Soviet T-34/76 tank gun cannot deal with it at all - However, all the American landing vehicles were blown to pieces. The soldiers in the vehicles were either killed or jumped onto the beach like crazy. However, the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun hidden near the beach suddenly opened fire again, knocking down the panicked American troops row by row. Machine guns swept across, leaving patches of blood on the beach. In the end, only a few soldiers rushed to the beach, and they were firmly suppressed by Japanese machine guns and artillery. Fortunately, several U.S. destroyers and fire support landing ships risked running aground and approached the beach to open fire, giving the U.S. troops ashore the opportunity to dig simple fortifications to avoid artillery fire.

But at this time, the US military was stunned. Dozens or groups of more than a dozen people huddled in temporarily dug bomb shelters on the beach, unwilling to launch an attack, but unable to retreat. In addition to more than 1,000 casualties and a very unstable beachhead, the US military achieved nothing on the first day of the battle for Palmyra Islands.

The fighting on the second day was still accompanied by heavy casualties. Due to the fierce battle at sea that occurred in the early morning of that day, the Japanese troops guarding the island misjudged and thought that the US fleet had been repulsed. Therefore, a counterattack was launched immediately. Hundreds of crazy Japanese soldiers carried rifles with bayonets and launched an attack with the support of three T-34 tanks that could only barely move.

If the retreat had not been blocked by the sea, this unorganized attack in the eyes of the Germans and Soviets would have almost repelled the U.S. troops on the beach of Palmyra Atoll.

In the end, it was these T-34/76 tanks that were sold to Japan as scrap steel by the Germans that saved the US military that was almost collapsing. Halfway through the charge, three tanks broke down one after another. As a result, it became the target of the US military's M4A3 and was turned into a "torch". Seeing the destruction of the Japanese tanks, the US Marine infantry, which was about to collapse, also boosted their morale and launched a counterattack following the M4A3 tanks. Not only did they repel the Japanese troops, but they also seized some territory and formed a relatively stable Beachhead. This allows the US military to send more landing troops and supplies to Palmyra Atoll when the tide rises that day.

However, after dawn, the U.S. military once again fell into a bitter battle. Their beachhead was repeatedly covered by Japanese artillery fire, and the offensive path was blocked for a while by a remaining T-34/76 tank. Until Roosevelt received the battle report, the bitter fighting on Palmyra Atoll was still ongoing.

The Japanese troops on the islands and reefs resisted tenaciously, and every inch of land had to go through a bloody battle. What shocked the US military even more was that the bloody battle lasted for two days. Although the US military killed thousands of Japanese soldiers, they did not capture any prisoners!

According to reports from the U.S. Marine Corps on the island, no Japanese troops surrendered at all... Even if they were surrounded by overwhelmingly superior enemies, and even if they ran out of ammunition and reinforcements, the Japanese troops would fight to the end, and even if they launched a desperate charge, they would not surrender. There were even wounded Japanese soldiers who fired grenades when US military medics went to treat them...

"We have invested such a huge landing ship (a landing fleet of 64 square nautical miles), as well as so many battleships and heavy cruisers to provide artillery support, and more than 20 fighter planes on escort aircraft carriers to provide air cover. We actually took What’s going on with a small Palmyra atoll that’s helpless?”

Roosevelt threw the report on the conference table, his face gloomy, and he looked very unhappy.

He can understand that the US military lost to the Germans in the Battle of England. The German army has been invincible from 1939 to now! And their weapons and equipment are better than those of the US military, including the terrifying Tiger tanks, Fw-190 and Fokker Zero fighter jets.

However, being beaten up by the Japanese army in Palmyra Atoll was a bit difficult for him to accept - according to the intelligence compiled from various parties, the Japanese navy was still somewhat powerful, but their army was not good at all, and it was not even as good as World War I in Europe. No, there is nothing motorized or mechanized.

The only tank that can be used is the T-34/76 that Germany disposed of as scrap steel... According to the Soviet military advisers privately: Their tank is garbage, and the designers who designed it should undergo labor reform!

But now, a few junk-like T-34/76s have left the powerful US Marine Corps at a loss.

"Mr. President," Army Chief of Staff Marshall frowned and said to Roosevelt, "our Army and Marine Corps ground forces lack actual combat experience and cannot compare with the Navy and Air Force... so it is inevitable to pay a little blood price. . But Palmyra Atoll will be taken by us eventually, because we have established a foothold on it, and more and more troops and supplies are coming to the island. "

The U.S. Navy and Army Air Forces have been fighting for the past two years. Even if they lose more and win less, they are accumulating experience bit by bit.

Therefore, in the "First Battle of Midway" and the "First Night Battle of Palmyra Atoll", the U.S. Navy did not suffer much loss when facing the Japanese Navy.

However, the ground forces of the American Army and Marine Corps have no such experience. Although the United States now has millions of soldiers fighting on land and islands, most of them have not even fired a bullet at the enemy. Pass.

Therefore, the Second U.S. Marine Division, which has just entered the battlefield, will inevitably suffer a big loss!

"Is it inevitable?" asked President Roosevelt. "How many lives must we inevitably lose to take the entire Hawaiian Islands?"

The small Palmyra Atoll caused heavy losses to the U.S. landing force. If this trend continues, the Battle of the Hawaiian Islands will really suffer heavy casualties.

Maybe 1 million Americans will lose their lives!

William Leahy took over the topic and said: "Mr. President, actually we don't need to take over the entire Hawaiian Islands, we only need to take over Niihau and Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands."

Niihau Island is located in the western part of the Hawaiian Islands, about 1,250 kilometers from Midway Island and less than 200 kilometers from Oahu. The island has a flat terrain, covering an area of ​​about 180 square kilometers, and there are large beaches for landing along the coast of the island.

In other words, there is a large area of ​​land on this island that can be used to build airports, military camps and warehouses. Moreover, it is still within the combat radius of the P51B/C taking off from Midway Island, so it is not difficult to land. It can be used as a springboard to attack Oahu.

As long as the US military captures Nihau Island, then build a large number of airports on the island and deploy enough shore-based aircraft. Then a large number of shore-based aircraft can be used to destroy the Japanese airports and forts on Oahu, creating favorable conditions for landing on Oahu.

As the only island in the Hawaiian Islands that can build a large port, Oahu is of course the main island that must be captured.

So after capturing Niihau Island and carrying out enough construction on Niihau Island. The next destination is Oahu!

After capturing Oahu, the Japanese troops on other islands in the Hawaiian Islands and Christmas Island were basically cut off from contact with the mainland, which could be solved through siege and bombing.

After listening to William Leahy's suggestions and reasons, Roosevelt was silent for a long time, and then asked: "I'm afraid there will be a hard battle on Niihau Island, right?"

William Leahy nodded and said: "It will not only be a hard battle, but also a decisive battle!"

"When can we start?"

"March, maybe April." William Leahy said, "First we must consolidate Midway Island and Palmyra Atoll, and turn them into forward strongholds, and then we can launch an attack!"