bookrandom Chapter 234 Trading
Chapter 234 Trading
Spruance replied with a hint of complaint: "General Bavet, what kind of help do you need? You know, my fleet has already covered the entire sea in Manila Bay. I can't let them go ashore to fight, can I?"
Bavett knew he was being awkward and abrupt, but the war didn't allow him to think otherwise. He had no choice but to honestly explain to Spruance, "General, you know how ferocious the Japs are. They've built many fortifications underground, and the children who rushed in have fallen in pools of blood. After finally capturing some positions, these demons of the night emerge from underground at night and kill the children."
"The 14th Army has been attacking at high intensity for over a week and has lost nearly one-third of its troops. The 24th Army, transferred from the south, lost over 3000 men in just two days. It's not that the children aren't brave, but if we want to take Manila in this kind of battle, how many children will have to stay here?"
Bavett continued, "The agreement we reached with the Flower Planters is that their expeditionary force is here to assist us in the war. We are fighting with our flesh and blood, and they are watching from the sidelines. This clearly goes against the fundamental interests of the United States."
Bavitt stopped General Spruance's attempt to refute him with his hand and continued, "You don't need to tell me that I already know the significance of Manila to the United States. The recovery of Manila must be accomplished by the US military. This is a political task. But this does not prevent us from using the Chinese Expeditionary Force. I must admit that these Chinese troops are more capable of attacking the Japanese. They will definitely capture Manila as soon as possible."
Bavitt continued, "We can definitely send the Chinese Expeditionary Force to join the battle for Manila, either as Chinese Americans or through other means. As long as their commander is an American, who can say we can't recapture Manila on our own?"
Spruance was surprised by Bavett's bizarre idea. He waited for Bavett to finish, then began to think. Indeed, if the US military took Manila at great cost and for a long time, it would still be a laughing stock. It would even affect his career, and he might end up like MacArthur, being dismissed in disgrace and retired.
But Spruance knew very well that even if he used Bavett's method, he would not be able to conceal the expeditionary force in the end, and it might even cause an even bigger joke.
Bavett saw Spruance in deep thought and knew that he had actually loosened his mind. However, just like the ideas of Cybertron and others, there must be big loopholes. In fact, he had already thought of a better way, but this required Spruance's recognition and support.
Seeing Spruance still hesitant, Bavett interrupted his thoughts and said directly, "General, my old friend, we can handle this like this: have the expeditionary force transfer a main company and combine it with our company. The nominal battalion commander will be ours, and we will fight as a battalion. Even if someone from above comes to investigate, as company volunteers, who can say anything? Besides, there are already many Chinese Americans in these companies, and they are originally citizens of the United States."
Seeing Bavett's thorough consideration, Spruance acquiesced. He simply needed to convince the two army commanders of the expeditionary force. Bavett, however, had already devised a plan. He whispered to Spruance, "My friend, this is something only you can accomplish. I believe Generals Yang and Liao share the same goal: Kalimantan and some warships. I believe you can find a way to accomplish it."
Meanwhile, Yang Hong, on Mindanao, was closely following the events of the Manila battle. The situation had changed, and the Japanese army's tenacity had surpassed his expectations. He was well aware of the US military's decision not to allow the expeditionary force to participate in the Manila offensive; it was simply a matter of concern for America's international image. However, after over a week, the US military hadn't even reached the edge of Manila, and their losses were beyond their wildest dreams. If the battle continued at this pace, it would take the US military at least three months to capture Manila, with losses exceeding 10 troops.
Yang Hong had a vague feeling that the US commander would definitely target the expeditionary force, and the best way was to let the expeditionary force take Manila by using the United States as a pretext. The flag flying over Manila would definitely be the flag of the United States.
Upon realizing this, Yang Hong immediately called Liao Yaoxiang of the 3rd Army and shared his premonition. Liao Yaoxiang, also possessing some political acumen, immediately recognized this opportunity. After a brief discussion, the two men agreed on a bottom line for their respective interests and then reported this to their nominal superior, General Zheng Dongguo. Zheng Dongguo, by then, had a new mission. Besides commanding the First Expeditionary Force's Front, he also served as Director of the Military Coordination Office between China and the United States. One of his key tasks was to expedite the implementation of the China Navy agreement between the two countries. Yang and Liao's timely reports perfectly aligned with his own mission, so he agreed without hesitation, waiting for General Spruance to speak to him or Yang or Liao.
After Spruance and Bavitt had discussed the plan, Admiral Spruance summoned Yang and Liao in the name of the commander-in-chief of the theater. After a brief greeting, Bavitt spoke up and revealed their intentions.
After explaining his plan, Bavett continued casually, "Dear Yang and Liao, we know you too have a request. If you can assist America in accomplishing this, I believe Commander-in-Chief Spruance will be willing to respond."
Yang Hong and Liao Yaoxiang smiled at each other. At Liao's signal, Yang Hong spoke first, "Generals, it's not impossible for you to say so. However, we need a suitable reason to convince the soldiers and the higher-ups."
Spruance knew it was time to speak up. He said slowly, "According to the agreement reached between the United States and you, the Flower Country, we need to support you in building your own navy as quickly as possible. I think we can provide you with some of the Japanese warships we captured. You can contact China and have your naval reserve personnel come over first to learn in my fleet and get used to operating large warships."
Spruance continued, "After the Philippine Campaign, the Western Pacific Theater will split its forces into two groups. One group will advance north to attack the Japanese mainland, while the other will advance south, prioritizing the capture of Kalimantan. After you capture Kalimantan, you can fully establish a Chinese Overseas Self-Defense Force to safeguard the interests of the people of South China."