President Roosevelt had been a bit overwhelmed by the continuous bad news.
In the Eastern European battlefield, the Soviet Red Army has collapsed across the board. In a very short period of time, more than five million Red Army troops were surrounded and annihilated by the German army. The German army's front line has advanced thousands of kilometers, Kiev has fallen, and the Ukrainians are almost
Welcomed the German troops into their capital like a hero.
Moscow and Stalingrad were completely exposed to the German army.
What's worse is that the prestige of Stalin, the dictator, within the Soviet Union has been greatly weakened, and his brutal rule of the Soviet Union is facing great challenges. At this time, the Soviet Union is really experiencing internal and external troubles and is in a precarious state.
, Fortunately, winter in Moscow finally came. The harsh weather prevented the German army from advancing, and the Soviet Union finally had a precious breathing opportunity.
However, President Roosevelt's adviser on Soviet affairs pointed out pessimistically that the Soviet Union might not survive next summer.
In the Western European battlefield, the German Air Force had given up bombing London and began bombing major British ports to cut off the connection between the British Isles and overseas colonies. In the contest with the German Air Force, the British Air Force was at a comprehensive disadvantage, while the United States
The war machine has just started, and it will be difficult to assemble a powerful air force to stop the German Air Force in a short period of time.
After weeks of bombing, many factories in the "British Empire" were in trouble due to shortages of raw materials.
British Prime Minister Churchill wrote in a private letter to Roosevelt: Thousands of Nazi fighter planes flew over Britain every day, all ports were bombed, a large number of transport ships loaded with supplies were unable to dock, and a large number of factories were unable to dock.
But the work was forced to stop due to lack of raw materials. The situation was really terrible...
President Roosevelt's security adviser pointed out in a very positive tone that as long as the German Air Force's strategic bombing of the British Isles continues for more than three weeks, Britain will be in dire straits. By then, the Royal Air Force of the "British Empire" will be exhausted due to lack of aviation fuel.
Forced to be completely grounded, the skies above the entire outlying island will become the backyard of the German Air Force.
In the African battlefield, Montgomery, the so-called famous general of the British Empire, had 200,000 troops and thousands of tanks. However, he was defeated by the famous German general "Desert Fox" Loner with only 50,000 German troops and 500 tanks. The German troops were at the forefront.
The Suez Canal, which points directly to Alexandria and Suez and is of great significance to the Allies, may be lost at any time.
Fortunately, the first U.S. Army troops led by General Patton have landed in Morocco.
The worst situation was in the Pacific battlefield. The 1st Army and the 2nd Army of the US Army in the Philippines commanded by General MacArthur were continuously hit hard by the Japanese army. All strategic and tactical air forces were almost completely lost. Under the fierce attack of the Japanese army,
MacArthur had no choice but to declare Manila an undefended city, and then led his troops to withdraw to the Bataan Peninsula to hold on.
In despair, MacArthur not only wrote a suicide note, but even prepared a pistol for suicide. This pistol was given to MacArthur by his father when he graduated first from West Point Military Academy!
However, what Roosevelt was more worried about was the situation on the battlefield in Burma. According to the report provided by Stilwell, Burma's comprehensive defeat seemed inevitable. After the fall of Burma, the Chinese government's contact with the outside world would be completely cut off. Once the Chinese government resisted
If it fails to resist pressure and announces surrender or withdraws from the war, the Japanese government will be able to free up millions of elite troops from the Chinese battlefield. Whether these troops are deployed in the Pacific battlefield or attack the Soviet Union, it will be a disaster.
The presidential advisers finally said what they were worried about and what they wanted to say.
President Roosevelt shrugged and said with a wry smile: "I think the only good news may be that no matter how bad the situation is in the future, I'm afraid it won't be worse than it is now."
As soon as he finished speaking, the beautiful female secretary walked in holding the folder.
The secretary finally brought good news. The Chinese Expeditionary Force fought back in the battlefield of Myanmar and unexpectedly recaptured the important town of Myitkyina in northern Myanmar. The war situation in Myanmar seemed to have turned for the better.
General Stilwell, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar battlefield, sent an urgent message back, requesting the U.S. government to urgently provide 1,000 DC-3 transport aircraft to replace the Burma Highway to continue blood transfusions to the Chinese government. He also hoped that the U.S. government could provide 800 P-40 fighter jets.
, emergency expansion of Chennault's Flying Tigers into the 14th Air Force of the United States Air Force.
President Roosevelt immediately held emergency consultations with his advisory group. All advisors agreed that in order to ensure that the Chinese government could continue to resist and contain the millions of Japanese troops on the Chinese battlefield, the U.S. government should provide as many transport aircraft as possible.
Head to Asia and try to open an air route to deliver war supplies to the Chinese government.
The proposal to expand Chennault's Flying Tigers into the 14th Air Force of the U.S. Air Force was also approved. However, at this time, all aircraft factories in the United States were going all out to produce aircraft orders for the "British Empire." At least for half a year, the U.S. government had the most
Only 400 P-40 fighter jets can be provided to the Asian battlefield.
As soon as the consultations ended, President Roosevelt immediately issued a decree. According to the "Arms Concession Act" passed by the U.S. Congress in March this year, the U.S. President has the right to directly provide weapons, equipment and war materials to allies without the permission of Congress to fight fascism.
Regarding the invasion of the country, as for whether to rent or give away, we can wait until the war is over!
When the U.S. government decided to open air routes at all costs to continue transfusing blood to the Chinese government, the Chinese Expeditionary Force also achieved another victory on the battlefield in Myanmar.
The dozens of rocket launchers brought by Yue Weihan quickly came into play.
The 14th Japanese Tank Regiment of the Southern Army was ambushed by the 200th Division on the outskirts of Meng Gong, a small town in northern Myanmar. The 200th Division destroyed all the tanks, armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery of the 14th Japanese Tank Regiment at a very small cost.
, the jungle terrain in northern Myanmar provides excellent cover for rocket launcher ambush.
After annihilating the 14th Japanese Tank Regiment, the 200th Division, the New 22nd Division and the 96th Division of the Fifth Army quickly relied on the small town of Mengong to seize the opportunity of the Japanese troops heading north along the Man (Dele) Mi (China) Railway.
18. The 33rd Division had previously built three lines of defense. At the same time, Yue Weihan also moved his headquarters to Myitkyina.
In Myitkyina, the victory celebration meeting of the new 38th Division is being held. This is what Yue Weihan meant.
If it were Yue Weihan's direct unit, the 39th Group Army, Yue Weihan would never mobilize his troops and hold a victory celebration just for such a small achievement. However, the expeditionary force is no better than the 39th Group Army. The expeditionary force has experienced successive defeats in Tonggu, Mandalay and northern Myanmar.
After that, morale had reached its lowest point, and the victory ceremony could undoubtedly greatly boost the morale of the officers and soldiers.
In the absence of absolute air superiority, the victory celebration was specially arranged to be held in the evening in order to avoid Japanese air attacks.
In the Myitkyina Municipal Square, more than 4,000 *** officers and soldiers have been lined up neatly in several large square formations. Except for the 112th Regiment on guard duty and the officers and soldiers who died in action, all the officers and soldiers of the New 38th Division who can stand are here.
Even the hundreds of seriously wounded soldiers came to the square and insisted on participating in the victory celebration.
The New 38th Division's battle to capture Myitkyina seemed to go smoothly, but the casualties were actually quite high.
After all, the 113th Regiment is an elite unit of the Japanese Army, and they have fought against the Japanese in the Central China battlefield for four full years. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are veterans who have emerged from the bloody storm.
Although the New 38th Division wiped out the 113th Regiment in a very short period of time, it also paid a heavy price with more than 1,500 casualties.
Amidst the fierce and high-spirited military music, Yue Weihan and Luo Zhuoying had already stepped onto the rostrum accompanied by Sun Liren.
"Commander-in-Chief Yue has arrived..." Accompanied by the hoarse roars of the ceremonial soldiers, more than 4,000 *** officers and soldiers in the square all moved their eyes to the right. Countless eyes instantly focused on Yue Weihan. There was indifference in these eyes.
There is disdain, but more of it is anger, unabashed anger!
Including Sun Liren, all the officers and soldiers of the New 38th Division felt a fire in their hearts!
As a soldier, from the day they put on the uniform of the Eight-Country Bank Tax Police Corps, they have given their lives to the country in their hearts. For this country and this nation, they can die without hesitation.
!However, they never want to be looked down upon by others, let alone tolerate insults from others, and neither can Yue Weihan!
As soon as Yue Weihan took his seat on the rostrum, the sound of drumming and beating suddenly came from the street in the distance.
When Yue Weihan turned around to look, it was hundreds of overseas Chinese from Myitkyina who came to work under banners and carrying various condolences. These overseas Chinese in Myanmar were very excited, even those in their twenties.
The young and old were crying and laughing at the same time. Chinese people who have never lived overseas will never understand the mood of the overseas Chinese in Myanmar at this moment.
"***Long live!"
"Long live the Chinese nation!"
"Long live the Chinese Expeditionary Force!"
The overseas Chinese in Myanmar were crying and shouting slogans as they walked. The team was in disarray and the scene was very funny, but Yue Weihan felt heavy in his heart.
Many officers and soldiers of the New 38th Division lowered their originally high heads with guilt. They almost abandoned these overseas Chinese living in Myanmar. Once they really retreated to India or returned home over the Savage Mountain, the fate of these overseas Chinese in Myanmar would be terrible.
As you can imagine, the cruel Japanese devils would never let them off easily.
Thinking of this, the anger in the hearts of many officers and soldiers eased a lot.
Although Yue Weihan insulted them, he also saved them from making more irreparable mistakes!
Soon, the military police responsible for the on-site security invited hundreds of overseas Chinese from Myanmar to the temporary viewing platform under the rostrum. When everything was ready, Sun Liren immediately strode to the rostrum and shouted at the top of his lungs into the microphone.
He said authentically: "Please take your place with the heroic spirits of our fallen brothers!"
Before the sound of the microphone had finished, more than a thousand officers and soldiers walked out of the *** phalanx, and more than 500 stretchers were carried out from the morgue next to it, and they were arranged in a row at the front of the *** phalanx.
They lined up neatly, and in an instant, the entire square became silent, because the people lying on these stretchers were all corpses wrapped in white cloth.
Sun Liren immediately turned around and made a gesture of invitation to Yue Weihan.
Yue Weihan strode forward and stood behind the microphone. Just when he was about to announce the start of the victory ceremony, a heartbreaking cry suddenly came from the viewing platform. Immediately, an old mother with gray hair rushed out from the crowd. He rushed to one of the stretchers like crazy and picked up a belt placed on the white cloth with trembling hands.
Yue Weihan couldn't help but condensed his expression, and swallowed back the words that came to his mouth.
The old mother unfolded her belt with trembling hands, and there were eight words embroidered on it with a red ribbon: Expel the Japanese pirates and give me back China.
"Son, my fourth son..." Seeing the eight-character family motto embroidered with red ribbons, the last glimmer of hope in the old mother's heart was instantly extinguished. She cried out in sorrow and fell to the ground without waiting for Sun Liren's order. , two Japanese military policemen had already rushed forward and helped the old mother down.
Yue Weihan turned around and looked at Sun Liren with questioning eyes.
"Zeng Silang, an overseas Chinese from Burma, returned to China to join the army with his three brothers in the 26th year of the Republic of China. During the Battle of Songhu, the Battle of Nanjing and the Battle of Xuzhou, his three brothers died in battle, but he did not know about it," Sun Liren said. Then he took out a suicide note from his pocket and handed it to Yue Weihan, saying sadly, "This is his suicide note. I originally planned to find his mother after the victory celebration and hand this suicide note to her personally, but I never thought …”
Yue Weihan was silent, and immediately took the suicide note and read it into the microphone.
Mom, when you read this letter, your fourth son has left this world forever.
Mother, my fourth son is not filial. He broke your heart when he was a child. When he grew up, he failed to fulfill his filial piety at your knees. Now he has passed away before you. He will no longer be able to send your old man to his grave in mourning a hundred years later. , in the quiet of the night, I often thought as a child that my son has really lost his duty as a son of man. He has not yet fulfilled his filial piety, so he can only entrust his three elder brothers.
Mom, don’t be sad for Si’er, let alone be sad.
Everyone is mortal. It is a son's honor to die for the country and to die in battle for the nation. You, the old man, should be happy for your son. Your son has not embarrassed you, let alone the motherland! My son will never forget it. What you taught us four brothers when we were children: We are descendants of Yan and Huang, and we are Chinese!
After reading the suicide note, Yue Weihan lost his voice for a long time, and the scene became even more silent.
It is a very simple suicide note, with no literary talent and no brilliant words, but every word contains the deep love of an ordinary communist soldier for his mother and the motherland. For the motherland and the mother, they Those who can dedicate everything without hesitation, including their most precious lives, are... the Chinese people!
In the suffocating silence, Yue Weihan suddenly fell to his knees and kowtowed heavily to the more than 4,000 officers and soldiers in the audience!