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Volume 1 On the Songhua River Chapter 1751 Chaos at the embarkation port

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    The commander of the ** Division, Tang Qiuli, couldn't understand Jonathan's deployment. Why did he decide to retreat and guard the Manila defense line? He didn't really think that with the strength of one division, he could stop hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops in the city of Manila.  Twelve hours away, right?

    The thinking of Americans is really incomprehensible if we leave such a good defensive position like Polillo unused. Think about it, too. Having been under MacArthur for a long time, with such a boss, how can there be any opportunity for training? It would be a waste of experience to suddenly take on a heavy responsibility.  It was not enough, the courage was commendable, but the approach was not advisable, so Tang Qiuli was relieved.

    Chief of Staff Zhao Yuhe immediately understood what the division commander meant and said: "Commander, what you mean is that Commander Le's fleet will intervene in the evacuation of the US and Philippine troops and provide them with air fire cover to avoid being  The Japanese army is holding on and unable to escape!¡±

    Tang Qiuli said helplessly: "This is the only way we can do it. Otherwise, I'm really worried that they won't be able to withdraw. In your telegram to Jonathan, you must emphasize that all troops must arrive on August 29th."  Before six o'clock in the morning, they evacuated their positions and gathered at the dock waiting to board the ship. The Americans could only escape under the cover of night. If the operation was carried out in broad daylight, the Japanese army would definitely hold on to the American and Philippine troops at all costs.  Le Yiqin¡¯s fleet alone cannot provide comprehensive cover!¡±

    Then, he said to himself: "This situation is so similar to the Dunkirk evacuation!"

    Zhao Yuhe, who had already walked out, turned around and asked strangely: "Master, Dunkirk, where is that place?"

    Tang Qiuli said covertly: "It's nothing, I just remembered something!"

    But I secretly screamed, "What a revelation. The Dunkirk evacuation was indeed real, but it was not successful. It was all because of my appearance that more than 400,000 British and French soldiers were gathered and annihilated by the German army in Dunkirk."  The Erke area was also severely damaged by this."

    Tang Qiuli's telegram soon reached Jonathan's hands. The demands put forward in the telegram really made him difficult. According to the retreat plan, more than 200,000 US and Philippine troops fought fiercely for several days.  Using echelon cover and gradual evacuation, leave the Manila defense line and assemble at the dock.

    And Tang Qiuli¡¯s order was to let all the troops.  Immediately abandon the current position and quickly assemble towards the dock.  And the blocking force under his command.  It is also necessary to abandon the existing defenses and re-build defensive positions at Pollillo. What if the Japanese army takes advantage of the retreat of the troops and attacks across the board?

    In order to achieve cover for the retreat, the Japanese troops on the opposite side were not alerted.  He has ordered all troops, especially the front-line troops, to abandon all vehicles, heavy weapons, tanks, and armored vehicles and march to the port on foot.  When the Japanese army caught up, it would be a one-sided massacre. Lieutenant General Jonathan had to consider the consequences.

    However, looking at the order from Tang Qiuli, which was almost an ultimatum, Lieutenant General Jonathan gritted his teeth and decided to implement the order in the telegram. On the one hand, without Chinese aircraft escort, his troops would not be able to reach Australia at all.  The main reason was still based on the confidence in Tang Qiuli. This Chinese had never suffered a defeat in the battles against the Japanese in Indochina.

    Lieutenant General Jonathan issued new orders to all the troops. He was watching the neighboring troops withdrawing from their positions, but before it was his turn to leave, the American and Philippine soldiers, who were so anxious that they were scratching their heads, received the order.  After this order, Rumeng Amnesty withdrew from the position at a speed that he could hardly believe. Many American soldiers simply abandoned the position because they felt burdened by light and heavy machine guns.

    In the vast darkness of night, the city of Manila fell into a tense atmosphere. Groups of soldiers passed through the streets of Manila, as if there were wolves chasing them behind, passing through the city without looking back. Ordinary soldiers  Citizens are not that sensitive yet, but those wealthy businessmen and famous families cannot sit still. The Americans are going to abandon us and run away. After the Japanese occupy Manila, who knows what will happen?

    Behind the groups of American and Filipino soldiers, people who were fleeing began to appear. However, as soon as the car drove out of the gate, those soldiers who usually looked like they were meeting the God of Wealth when they saw him, now they didn't recognize each other, and they couldn't help but say,  He smashed the car to pieces and warned fiercely: "Don't want to live anymore? According to the order of the Manila Garrison Headquarters, all vehicles will not be allowed to take to the streets before six o'clock tomorrow morning. Violators will be shot on the spot!"

    The car was gone and there were still two legs. It was better than staying in the city and letting the Japanese kill them. Therefore, people who were usually pampered had to run after the soldiers panting. In fact, they didn't know that  As I ran there, I instinctively felt that it would be safer to follow the soldiers with guns.

    When the soldiers were gathering at the port, the refugees who were following saw a ship and understood in their hearts that as long as they could get on boardOn these ships, there is a chance of survival. However, this chance does not belong to them, but to a group of officers with guns in their hands, who seem to be more panicked than them. They can only look at the ship and sigh.

    But businessmen are businessmen, and they soon found the key to solving the problem. As a result, scenes of various transactions began to take place on the crowded pier under the cover of night and chaos.

    By the time Lieutenant General Jonathan received an angry and helpless report from Brigadier General Kleist, the Chief of Staff who was commanding the troops to board the ship at the port, the matter had evolved to a very serious stage. There were about 20,000 wealthy businessmen, government officials, etc.  The officials have already boarded the transport ship. Everyone knows how they got on the ship. These people are more or less related to the former Commander-in-Chief MacArthur in one way or another.

    Even if you have never met MacArthur, you can still find a reasonable excuse to establish a relationship with someone who has connections. At this time, Chief of Staff Kleist's usually low prestige and his submissive impression of MacArthur became fatal.  Due to his weakness, military officers and other senior government officials basically ignored the orders of the newly appointed chief of staff. He was unable to prevent such things from spreading.

    Originally, the evacuation plan included the evacuation of important colonial government officials during the U.S. occupation, and ten ships were specially allocated for the transfer of government officials and confidential files and documents. However, these ten ships  , has become a tool for high-ranking government officials to make money. The number of people boarding the ship has exceeded the authorized number by nearly twice, and people continue to board the ship through various means.

    At this time, it was already past three o'clock in the morning on August 29th. Lieutenant General Jonathan was so angry that he almost went crazy. He made it clear what it meant if the situation continued to develop. It meant that those ten ships would not  , will sink in the rough waves of the Southwest Pacific, which means that one's own troops will have more than one division of soldiers who will not be able to board the ship. The blocking troops can only stay on Luzon Island. In other words, one's own troops  The 7th Mechanized Infantry Division under his command will never withdraw to Australia.

    Moreover, such a chaotic situation will also affect the evacuation of the entire army. If the troop transport fleet has not left the port by ten o'clock in the morning, more than 200,000 soldiers will be crowded in the port on a sunny day, exposed to the Japanese army.  In front of the soldiers, even if there is a Japanese bomber or fighter jet, just throwing a few bombs and firing a few bullets will cause complete chaos.

    Lieutenant General Jonathan did not dare to think about what would happen to the frightened troops. Although there was a group of Chinese fighter jets covering the air, it was an inevitable reaction for the soldiers to panic and flee in all directions.

    Lieutenant General Jonathan felt a murderous aura in his heart. He ordered all military police units to immediately board every ship and drive off all those who boarded the ship by various means. If they refused to disembark, they could use force.  method, until shot.

    After a large number of military police boarded the ship, there was another commotion of crying and vicious curses, which was also mixed with sporadic gunshots. Lieutenant General Jonathan quickly restored order in the port with an iron fist.

    Thanks to MacArthur, his Manila defense line was built outside the city of Manila. The farce at the port and the commotion that spread to the whole city of Manila did not alert the Japanese soldiers. This was probably the most correct thing MacArthur did during his rule in the Philippines.  , and the only good thing!  Although this was not his original intention.

    At 5:30 in the morning, an earth-shattering sound of artillery broke the pre-dawn tranquility. Sparkling firelight flashed in all directions of the Manila defense line. Continuous explosions, like heavy thunder, rolled across the sky. The Japanese attack was on time.  here we go.

    After the overwhelming shelling, more than 100,000 Japanese soldiers divided into four groups and roared towards the US and Philippine positions. There was no rain of bullets, and the positions were deserted. Japanese commanders at all levels passed by briefly.  After being stunned, they immediately became ecstatic. Under the continuous attacks of the Imperial Japanese Army, the US and Philippine troops had abandoned their positions and fled, and the Manila defense line had been breached.

    There is only one order from the Japanese commanders at all levels, to attack as quickly as possible and strive to be the first imperial army to rush into downtown Manila. In front of them, there is not only a bustling city, but also more than 200,000 people who have lost their resistance.  The determined American and Philippine soldiers and all the Japanese soldiers stared with blood-red eyes. Like a flood that broke the embankment, it overflowed the positions of the American and Philippine armies, overflowed the Manila defense line, and poured into the city of Manila.

    The Japanese troops who rushed into Manila did not encounter any resistance. A prosperous city fell into their hands. The Japanese officers and soldiers were tempted by the huge victory. Hundreds of thousands of troops were scattered throughout the city.  Corner, began to enjoy the power that the Imperial Japanese Army should exercise after conquering this city. As for the more than 200,000 American and Filipino soldiers?There, it seems that it did not attract too much attention from the Japanese commanders at all levels, especially the middle and lower-level officers.

    (To be continued)
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