bookrandom Chapter 620: After 14 days of fighting, the White Eagle guy was shocked
Chapter 620: After 14 days of fighting, the White Eagle guy was shocked
"The Commander-in-Chief's thoughtfulness is truly a blessing for the Ryukyu Islands." Cai Zhang stood up again and bowed deeply. "We will do our utmost to connect with those within and outside the country, cooperate with the Nanyang Royal Army, and dedicate ourselves to the recovery of the Ryukyu Islands and the creation of a better future."
Zhang Chi nodded with satisfaction.
This is the effect he wants.
Supporting Cai Zhang, Zhongzong Genyuan and other "independence restorationists" can occupy the moral high ground, which can not only unite the hearts of the Ryukyu people, but also avoid the international community's accusations of direct annexation.
A Ryukyu regime that is deeply dependent on the South Pacific for its economy and security will become a brilliant move for the South Pacific to insert itself into the chess game of the Western Pacific. It can check and balance the Japanese when advancing and defend the South Pacific when retreating. Its strategic value is immeasurable.
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On April 7, 1946, the smoke of war had not yet completely dissipated on the main island of Ryukyu.
Outside a temporary command post that had just been cleared near the coast, Major General Liu Boda, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Nanyang Army, jumped off the LVT amphibious vehicle, looking dusty but full of energy.
He immediately saw several regimental commanders arguing over a map spread out on an ammunition box.
"Lu Daniu, Zhao Heizi, Sun Wukong, you bastards." Liu Boda said in a loud voice, striding over with an unconcealable smile.
Upon hearing the voice, several regimental commanders immediately turned around, stood at attention and saluted: "Commander."
Liu Boda did not return the greeting. He went up and punched the 5th Regiment Commander Lu Daniu on the strong chest, and then hit the 4th Regiment Commander Zhao Shouyi and the 6th Regiment Commander Sun Sheng on the shoulder.
"Good! You did a damn good job! You really made me proud, made our Nanyang Army proud, and made all Chinese people proud."
Liu Boda's face was full of smiles, and his eyes were full of pride.
He looked around at these old brothers who had fought with him all the way out of the jungles of Pegu, and his voice rose an octave due to excitement:
"You didn't see it. Just this morning, at the coordination meeting held at the White Eagle side, that usually arrogant Lieutenant General Hodge's eyes got as big as cow eggs when he heard that we took over Hirashiki-ya yesterday afternoon."
Liu Boda imitated Hodge's expression of disbelief but having to accept it, which made several team leaders laugh.
"It's only been four days, only four days." Liu Boda stretched out four fingers and shook them vigorously.
"Those White Eagle guys made bets, saying it would take us at least fourteen days, maybe even a month, to break through the Japanese defenses and cut off this damned Ryukyu from north to south!"
"And what happened? We did it in just four days. We pushed our way right through the heart of the Japanese 32nd Army. Now we've cut the remaining Japanese troops to the north and the main force to the south in half, leaving them unable to protect each other.
In this battle, our 2nd Division fought with flying colors."
The several regimental commanders were also proud, their chests puffed out even higher. The fatigue from days of hard fighting seemed to be washed away by the praise from the division commander and the joy of victory.
Lu Daniu chuckled and said, "Commander, it's mainly because of your good command. The brothers are also holding back their energy. We can't let the White Eagles look down on our soldiers from Nanyang."
"Stop flattering me." Liu Boda scolded him with a smile, then said seriously, "You fought well, and the next task is even more important."
"Those guys in the 6th Division are so jealous of us eating our meat that they've already petitioned their superiors to take over from us and lead the attack southward against the main enemy defense line."
He paused, looking at the regimental commanders. "The higher-ups have basically agreed. Our 2nd Division has endured continuous high-intensity combat, suffering heavy casualties and fatigue. We will now move on to the second phase of our mission."
While resting and replenishing, we will also eliminate the remaining Japanese stragglers in the occupied areas to ensure the safety of the logistics line."
Several regiment commanders nodded. This was a routine operation. When the fighting got tired, the brother troops would take over.
But Liu Boda's next words made them a little confused.
"There's another important mission, personally ordered by His Excellency the Grand Commander." Liu Boda's tone grew serious. "We are instructed to do our utmost to gather and protect the Ryukyu residents within the controlled areas and provide necessary humanitarian assistance."
"Ryukyuans?" Regimental Commander Zhao Shouyi scratched his head, a bit puzzled. "Commander, these Ryukyuans... many have been heavily brainwashed by the Japanese. They even helped them dig fortifications, transport ammunition, and even..."
Regimental Commander Sun Sheng also chimed in, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Yes, Commander. During the previous offensive, the Japanese were completely unscrupulous, often forcing Ryukyu civilians to serve as human shields... We...we were trying to break through the defenses, and under fire, it was inevitable...that quite a few were accidentally injured."
Lu Daniu's face darkened as he added a more cruel situation:
"Also, when we were clearing some cliffs and caves, we found a large number of bodies of Ryukyu civilians. Many of them had jumped off cliffs in groups, or had been blasted with grenades... It seemed like the Japanese had forced them to commit suicide.
There were only a few people who could be rescued, and most of them were still in shock. They couldn't speak our language, and few of them could speak Chinese."
There was a moment of silence. The soldiers were ruthless in killing the enemy on the battlefield, but faced with such cruel scenes targeting civilians and the psychological burden of possibly accidentally injuring them, they felt a complex mix of emotions.
Liu Boda sighed, his expression solemn:
“The commander-in-chief and the headquarters are aware of these situations.
But this is precisely the crux of the matter. The Great Commander said that the Ryukyu people were historically our compatriots within the Daxia cultural sphere, and were forcibly enslaved by the Japanese invaders. Now we must help them drive out the Japanese invaders, and even more so, help them restore their country in the future.
"Restoring the country?" Several regimental commanders looked at each other in confusion. This concept was a bit far-fetched for them, professional soldiers.
"Yes, restoration of the country." Liu Boda affirmed, "This is politics, strategy, and the overall situation.
What we are doing now is not just military occupation, but also political winning over of people's hearts and minds. We must treat the Ryukyu civilians with discipline and policy, and we can no longer treat them the same way we did with the diehard Japanese before."
He glanced at his subordinates who were scratching their heads, and slowed down his tone:
"I know this will be difficult. The language barrier is the biggest obstacle. But the headquarters has already coordinated, and the subsequent reinforcements will be equipped with translators. Some Ryukyu volunteers from Southeast Asia who are working with us will also arrive soon to assist us in our work."
Hearing this, Lu Daniu grinned and habitually said:
"Well, Commander, so the brothers, having just finished a tough battle and barely wiped their weapons clean, are about to switch to being nannies and servants? This job is even more tiring than fighting the Japanese."
Liu Boda glared and scolded with a smile:
"You're the only one who talks too much, what's wrong with being a nanny?
This is also a battle, and a more important one. If we can win the hearts and minds of the Ryukyu people, how many brothers will be spared from death in the future? Don’t you understand this?”
He put away his smile and glanced at the captains:
"Listen to me carefully, this is a death order.
Manage your soldiers well and strictly observe discipline. Do not rob, curse, or shoot at Ryukyu civilians without reason.
Anyone who dares to cause trouble for me at this time and bring disgrace to Nanyang will be punished by military law without mercy."
"Yes, Commander!" Several regimental commanders looked stern and immediately stood at attention to receive the order.
They understand that war is more than just fighting on the battlefield.
The military miracle of taking Hirashiki-ya has shocked the allies, and the next "soft battle" to win people's hearts and minds may be no less important than the previous hard battle.
The flag of the Nanyang Army should not only be planted on the hilltops of Ryukyu, but also try to be planted in the hearts of the people of Ryukyu.