Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 107



Only Noblemtl

#107

It was during World War I that aircraft and tanks first appeared in warfare.

Machine guns, tanks that pushed through trenches, and bombs pouring down from the sky where at best only pigeons could fly were a whole new world.

But in the end, it was the infantry’s job to defeat the enemy and achieve true victory.

Because tanks and airplanes, which had given people considerable shock when they first appeared, were still unbelievable.

“Of course, one day tanks may become the masters of the battlefield.”

“There will come a time when aircraft will become more important than anything else.”

Yet those with insight realized that one day, tanks and aircraft would replace infantry as the mainstay.

“But not now.”

“Then, not before I die?”

What they failed to account for, however, was the pace at which technology was advancing in the 20th century.

As a result, the battlefields of the early days of World War II were bound to be a chaotic mess.

This was because there was a mix of those who wanted to actively accept and utilize new technologies and those who were unable to discard old doctrines that they had learned and practiced for a long time, saying that it was not yet time.

And our US Navy also could not escape that trend.

“We must actively utilize aircraft carriers. You know how important air supremacy is!”

“That’s true, but isn’t the main thing the battleship?”

“Yes. Look at this mighty cannon. Doesn’t it make your heart swell with pride?”

The love of big ships and cannons and the competition to build ships were like instincts engraved in the DNA of seals.

To Japan and to America.

And to battleship enthusiasts, aircraft carriers were merely a means to assist battleship squadrons in decisive battles.

“Wouldn’t it be better to place the aircraft carrier at the front of the squadron and focus on reconnaissance activities?”

“We use carrier-based aircraft as the eyes and ears of the battle group.”

The military, whether it be the army or the navy, has always been a very difficult organization to change.

A typical example was Admiral Hart, commander of the Philippine Fleet.

“What the hell do you do with over twenty submarines?”

“well.”

They must have declared war. If they had made good use of the submarine squadron, wouldn’t it have been normal to have caught and defeated the Japanese who were loitering around Luzon Island in preparation for a landing?

But the seals were also repeating the same disgrace that the shit stars of the old World War I army had shown.

“All efforts will be made to defend Manila Bay…”

“No, we have battleships for defense. We need to send out submarines and use them.”

However, Admiral Hart was somehow unable to properly utilize the more than twenty new submarines.

Of course, my insides were burning and almost turning inside out as I watched that scene.

“But the torpedoes we provided are useful, right?”

“Ha, who made that guy useful?”

I couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of Arthur III averting his gaze in response to my reply.

The only reason the Philippines has been able to hold out until now is because of the Mark 13 torpedoes I threw at them and the air power Mitchell developed.

“Thanks to the torpedoes, there are quite a few guys who have caught Japs and become aces.”

“okay?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the reports that some people had taken down minesweepers and small destroyers with torpedoes.

In addition, Eisenhower was certainly competent.

In the original history, MacArthur issued a ridiculous order to defend the entire coastline under a plan called Rainbow or something.

But Eisenhower was different.

“In cooperation with the Navy, lay mines on all possible coasts where landings are possible.”

To prevent landing, they spread mines and landmines, laid barbed wire, etc.

“We will do our best to prevent landings and protect the coastline.”

“No, no. If we can’t stop the landing, we should quickly abandon the coastline and retreat to the prepared defensive lines and hold out.”

In addition, we were actively utilizing our air power while doing our best to defend and maintain the airfield.

Thanks to this, the Japanese have been able to firmly defend Luzon Island without allowing any landings until now.

##

“The mine has burst again.”

“shit.”

“It’s not just mines, but American bombers are also focusing on minesweepers.”

Despite constant bombing from bombers from Formosa and carrier-based aircraft from the Air Fleet, Luzon’s defenses remained strong.

In particular, although their air power was small in number, the level of aircraft and the skill of their pilots were considerable, so losses to the air force continued to accumulate every time they went on a bombing mission.

“At this rate, when will I ever be able to set foot on Luzon Island?”

What bothered Admiral Yamamoto and other naval officers more than anything else was the Army’s nagging.

“It would be solved if we just landed, so why···.”

“What can I do when I can’t get the ship close?”

Because it was difficult to even approach the landing point, the army soldiers trapped on the ship often questioned the navy’s capabilities and started to quarrel with it.

That would be the case. Those who advanced toward Malaya were achieving brilliant results, but they were trapped inside the ship, so how frustrating it must have been for them.

“When on earth do you think we’ll land?”

When Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma, commander of the 14th Army, went to see Admiral Yamamoto to protest, he was met with not the answer he wanted, but an irrelevant question.

“Isn’t there just one way to defeat enemies?”

“What do you want to say?”

“I was thinking that maybe it wasn’t necessary to get Luzon Island first.”

At first, he couldn’t understand what Admiral Yamamoto was saying, but at the same time, he saw that there was something there, so Vice Admiral Homma asked a question instead of swearing.

“I guess your Majesty has some kind of plan in mind?”

“The Philippines is an island anyway. How long can we last without supplies?”

“Hmm.”

“Furthermore, mines don’t have eyes. If we can’t get to them, that means the Americans can’t get to them either.”

Manila Bay, the only spot not mined, had its entrance blocked by the Philippine fleet.

“Furthermore, Manila Bay is located on the west side of Luzon Island.”

Commodore Homma’s eyes lit up as he checked the map following Admiral Yamamoto’s gestures.

“Americans are not easy to approach either, that’s what I’m saying.”

“That’s right. So let’s just keep the guys on Luzon there. Instead, how about attacking the other islands first?”

“It’s a different island···.”

“It looks like they’ve stockpiled a lot of supplies, but isn’t it still a small island?”

“If we block the Pacific Fleet and cut off its supplies, we will eventually dry up and die.”

“That’s right.”

Lieutenant General Homma nodded readily to Yamamoto’s suggestion.

“If we run like grasshoppers and occupy and fortify only the islands that are absolutely necessary···.”

“Wouldn’t it be much better than it is now?”

“I see. Good. Our 14th Army agrees to the changed operation.”

Honma nodded immediately and agreed to Admiral Yamamoto’s proposal, thinking that he had to achieve something in order to keep up with those who were making great strides in Malaya.

Thus, Japan, which had given up on landing on Luzon Island, began to turn its attention to other islands in the southern Philippines, such as Samar and Davao, as well as the South Pacific.

Yamamoto, who had disembarked troops in Samar, Davao, and Palau, headed to Guam, his final destination.

“We drop the last of the Army in Guam, and we take over the Pacific Fleet.”

“The Pacific Fleet?”

“Yeah, how long are you going to just transport those land dogs?”

“That’s true.”

Unlike the Army, which was steadily building up its expertise, the Navy had done nothing but transport the Army.

This was inevitable because they had no intention of fighting the US military in the first place.

“Things are different now.”

“you’re right.”

“Considering the level of the Philippine Fleet, the Pacific Fleet is likely to be similarly skilled.”

Combined Fleet Commander Yamamoto looked at the map and opened his mouth.

The Philippines’ air power was stronger than they expected, but that was it.

As each day passed, their power was visibly weakening.

“If you want to kill the bastards on Luzon Island, you can’t just occupy the island.”

“That’s right. We need to destroy the US Pacific Fleet.”

The goal of the Southern Operations was to seize Southeast Asia, where we could supply the resources that the Americans had cut off.

For this, the right to control the sea was essential. And,

“If we want to get the South Pacific in our hands, we have to get rid of those annoying Americans.”

##

The butterfly effect is a really scary thing.

So, I did my best during the interwar period. I knew that the navy was more important than the army in defeating the Japanese.

“Tell me how useful aircraft carriers are, and how much support they provide to improve the performance of their aircraft.”

There is no way Arthur III would nod his head in agreement with what I said.

He opened his mouth, snorting in disbelief.

“Even so, how dare you, a dog, talk about our navy’s strategy right now?”

“Then does that mean you won’t open your mouth?”

At what point are you calling for a fleet battle?

King, where the hell is our fucking king?

“King? He’s in the Atlantic Ocean?”

Arthur III’s answer made the back of my neck tingle.

If I remember correctly, it was King after Leehi, but it wasn’t.

In any case, the seals’ plan to dash into the Philippine Sea and immediately subdue the Japanese navy that was prowling the South Pacific seemed plausible.

And the biggest problem, to me, was that it seemed plausible.

But even though I was the Minister of War, there was a limit to what I could say about the affairs of those seals.

“You know that. I can’t command the scene from here. I don’t know how much grand strategy I can convey, but the actual fighting is the job of the field commander.”

In the end, all I could do was convey my personal opinion to a few people who were close to Arthur III.

“Make active use of submarines and aircraft carriers. The newly developed torpedoes are performing well. I can convey this much to them… But, don’t they already know this?”

“Still. Still, tell me one more time.”

“Yeah, I agree with that.”

As soon as I finished talking to Arthur III, Secretary of State Hull was waiting for me.

“Germany has declared war. So has Italy.”

It was expected, since Japan, Germany, and Italy are allies.

What Hull really wanted to say was not that Germany was declaring war.

“Britain is in chaos.”

“Why are they making such a fuss?”

He let out a sigh at my indifferent response.

“Is it really going to turn out like this?”

“Well, I’m curious. Is there any reason why we should prioritize Europe over the Pacific?”

The Pacific was relegated to the back burner in naval history because of Pearl Harbor, where the fleet was blown up and needed time to recover.

Of course, one could have used the Atlantic Fleet instead, but most Americans were of European origin.

Although there were some who came to this land a hundred years ago and had a firm sense of identity as Americans, surprisingly many people remembered their European roots.

Because of this, most Americans were more interested in Europe than in the Philippines, which they knew nothing about.

And as I have said over and over again, America is a democratic country where public opinion is more important than anything else.

“But are you really sure that the battlefields of Europe are helpful to our country?”

“What on earth are your intentions···.”

“To be honest, what did we gain by sacrificing the blood of hundreds of thousands of people in the last war?”

Perhaps the reason Hull and Roosevelt called me over and left the seals alone to talk was because I was in the Army.

Those seals have turned their eyes away now.

What would a bunch of seals do in the Atlantic Ocean?

During World War I and today, it was the British Royal Navy’s job to beat up the German and Italian fleets in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

In the Atlantic, the only work our seals had to do was protect merchant ships and transport troops.

Even if you participate in battle,

‘Tommy, with those guys’ personalities, you can’t even bring yourself to say anything about command.’

But the Pacific was different. Naturally, the seals had to come first to the Pacific.

How could they turn down the opportunity to become their own protagonist?

Maybe that’s why Hull looked visibly flustered when I showed an unexpected reaction, as I had expected him to prioritize Europe over the seals.

“And in my view, the difficulties the British are in now are of their own making?”

No, who told you to invade a neutral country?

Didn’t they come in and even attack us?

“It was to prevent Norway’s resources from flowing to Germany.”

“Really? What about the Mediterranean and Africa?”

The ambitious attempt to capture the Italian Navy, the raid on Taranto, was a dud.

In Africa, it seemed like they were still fighting somehow, but I knew full well that if a fennec fox like the one I knew appeared, my head would soon be broken.

“But if we leave it like this, the Germans will really···.”

“Do you think you can conquer the world?”

“Well, that’s not it.”

Anyway, the British were nagging at us, but we couldn’t just ignore them since they had even declared war on Germany.

But my thoughts were quite different.

“If the British want our army so badly, shouldn’t they give us something in return?”

The Mediterranean is still under the Italian Navy’s thumb, but in the Atlantic the Germans have been unable to spread their wings except with U-boats, and this is all thanks to the Royal Navy.

Didn’t they say that even if a rich man falls, his fortune lasts for three generations?

No matter how much I looked at it, I was not impressed by our seals, so I was quite envious of the British Oriental Fleet.

“We will help Europe, so you want Britain to help us in the Pacific?”

“Don’t the British also want to beat up the Japanese anyway?”

He must have been very angry after being beaten up so badly in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

But the British bastards’ answer was beyond imagination.

“They say the British Z fleet has sunk.”

A common ground shared by all