kingnovel Chapter 1277 The Best at Sneak Attacks
Chapter 1277 The Best at Sneak Attacks
According to the Japanese military tactics, if they truly wanted to fight you, they would first create a facade of peace and would never announce that they were coming to attack you. Their fighting style always relied on surprise attacks for the first time, aiming to maximize their gains through a surprise attack.
Now things have really gotten complicated; most newspapers across Japan are hyping this up. But the question is, do you think we're all fools? The Second Fleet is quite powerful, possessing one battleship, two aircraft carriers, and over a dozen other warships, along with various supply vessels—nearly 30 ships in total. The question is, when did Japan announce that it would not fight again?
Not only the soldiers felt something was amiss, but some journalists as well. They believed it was likely a fake news report released by the Japanese. As for the true purpose of the Second Fleet, they had to deal with it carefully. After all, these Japanese were cunning and could very well be setting traps for them somewhere.
Li Shaoyi's orders have reached Ma Leizi; we can't be too careless. Although you've managed the entire Jiaodong region like a fortress, the Japanese will definitely react after this bombing. Otherwise, you won't be able to explain yourself to the domestic authorities. And this time, we've indeed hit their weak point.
The Japanese were a resource-poor country. If they didn't exchange supplies in the occupied territories, they simply wouldn't be able to support the entire war effort. Therefore, at this stage, the various resources they had plundered from Northeast China needed to be quickly transported back to Japan and the battlefields in southern China.
Without the support of resources from Northeast China, their combat potential would decrease by at least 35%. This figure was derived from complex calculations by our intelligence department. Li Shaoyi, a time traveler, strongly agreed with this assessment.
Currently, the Northeast region boasts extremely strong data in both agriculture and industry across Asia. Moreover, it is highly likely to surpass mainland Japan within the next six months to a year. Therefore, all kinds of products from this region are extremely important. The location of Mareiko effectively blocks their sea routes outwards. Therefore, compared to Mareiko, Southeast Asia naturally takes a backseat.
Southeast Asia was like a knife stabbing into Japan's thigh, but the Ma Ruizi (a type of Japanese warhead) was like a knife stabbing into Japan's chest. If it wasn't dealt with, it could very well cut to the heart.
For Japan, the lack of Southeast Asian rubber and oil, as well as the resources from Shinjo and Latin America, is a significant advantage. However, without the free resources of the Tohoku region, they would have to acquire more gold reserves from other sources, which would be disastrous for the Japanese.
We could simply pay for shipping to get these supplies moving around the battlefield, so why should we have to spend gold to buy them elsewhere? Do you think gold is easy to obtain?
The news of the Second Fleet setting sail for operations did not cause much of a stir in China. After all, everyone's attention was focused on the major wars on land, so they were not very concerned about the situation at sea.
Moreover, many believe the current situation at sea is far from optimistic. Almost the entire coastal region has been lost, with only the 4th Army of the 72nd Group Army holding a small area in Jiaodong. This area is small, and if the Japanese navy were to actually attack, it would likely suffer the same fate as other areas, ultimately unable to hold out.
Some people even called in the newspapers that instead of wasting troops like the Fourth Army on the Jiaodong Peninsula, it would be better to find a way to transport them away as soon as possible. If that didn't work, they could do what the Second Division of the Fourth Army did some time ago: quickly break through the Japanese-occupied area and then join up with the National Army in the central Henan region.
Ma Leizi didn't even have the energy to curse them at the news in the newspapers. "You lot only see how powerful the Japanese are, you don't see the achievements of our Fourth Army. If it weren't for orders from headquarters back then, the entire Shandong province would be in our hands now."
Although the Fourth Army still has three divisions left, we also have more than 30 security regiments, and even more militia. Our naval and air forces are also formidable in this area. If the Japanese really consider us their main force, Ma Leizi is quite keen to give them a good time in this region.
Because of this matter, Li Shaoyi specially flew directly from the mountain city to the island city.
For Li Shaoyi's safety, the route passed through mostly Nationalist-controlled areas. When passing through Japanese-occupied territory, at least 40 aircraft provided escort. Our planes also frequently flew through Japanese-occupied areas, reaching the territory of Ma Lei Zi. Therefore, the danger wasn't too great. With the escort of these 40-plus fighter planes, unless the Japanese received prior warning, they were unlikely to take any major action.
"Brother, why did you come in person? Don't you know the situation here? This defense line may not be impregnable, but if the Japanese don't send a hundred thousand men, I will definitely make sure they can't break through it."
The moment Li Shaoyi's plane door opened, Ma Leizi's booming, bear-like voice rang out. Those who saw Ma Leizi for the first time wondered how the commander of the Fourth Army had developed such a loud voice.
Those who were used to it didn't find it strange. They all knew that Ma Leizi seemed to have a lowered voice and couldn't speak, so they all just smiled and remained silent. Only Li Shaoyi was unhappy.
"Can you please tone down your voice? Do you carry a megaphone with you? I was finally able to rest for a while on the plane, and the landing was so smooth that I didn't wake up. But your voice woke me up."
Li Shaoyi patted his coat with annoyance. Although Qingdao is by the sea, the weather is already a bit chilly, especially in the evening, when you need to wear a thick coat.
Ma Leizi scratched the back of his head somewhat sheepishly. He'd always had a loud voice, and in the army it was even louder. Whether you were speaking to subordinates or superiors, a loud voice always earned praise. It meant you had enough spirit.
"I'm used to it, aren't I? You're in for a treat, brother! I intercepted a fishing boat this afternoon, and it was full of fresh seafood. As you suggested, we'll steam it."
Ma Leizi pointed in the direction of the cafeteria, and Li Shaoyi was indeed a little hungry.