Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 980 Annoying Dinner

Around nightfall, a total of 3400 marines boarded small boats on the surrounding islands of the Lahana Anchorage. They only encountered slight resistance on Maui, the second largest island in Hawaii. Several drunk white youths stood at the base From the small wharf in Wakap, they fired randomly at the approaching Chinese boats, and were quickly sieved by the rifles and grenades in the hands of the marines.

The marine detachments quickly established beachheads and dispatched small detachments to control the lighthouses on the island. Some of the lighthouse facilities had been damaged, and the engineers in the detachments had to hurry up to repair them so that the fleet could move in as soon as possible.

On December 12, Johnson delivered a speech in Congress with a heavy expression: "Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate and House of Representatives: Yesterday, December 26, this day of infamy must be remembered forever. The United States of America was honored by the Chinese Empire. It was a bandit-like surprise attack by the navy and air force. In fact, we didn’t receive China’s declaration of war note until an hour before the Chinese air attack team had already started bombing the U.S. island of Oahu.”

"History will prove that the distance of Hawaii from China shows that this attack was carefully planned over many days or even weeks. During this period, China deliberately deceived the United States with false statements and expressed desire to continue to maintain peace. "

"Yesterday's attack on the Hawaiian Islands caused serious damage to U.S. Navy and Army forces. I regret to tell you that many American lives were lost. China has launched a full-scale and sudden offensive throughout the Pacific region. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The American people must have formed their own opinion and are well aware that the security and survival of our country is at stake, and that the United States is facing the worst crisis in a century! As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that everything be done for our defense possible measures. However, our entire nation will forever remember the nature of this attack on us. However long it may take to defeat this deliberate and premeditated invasion, the American people must, by their righteous strength, win full and Victory. We now prophesy that we will not only do our utmost to defend ourselves, but we will ensure that this form of despicable behavior never again endangers us. By saying this, I believe I express the will of Congress and the people. "

"Trust in our Armed Forces, and rely on the firm resolve of our people, we will achieve certain victory, God help us!"

"I ask Congress to declare that the United States and the Chinese Empire have been at war since December 1919, 12, when Chinese forces launched their long-planned offensive."

That afternoon, after President Lyndon Johnson delivered the above impassioned speech, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution to declare war on China.That night, Secretary of the Army Cyrus Vance and Secretary of the Navy McNamara were summoned to the White House to have dinner with the President.

"I need to know if the Army and Navy can keep the West Coast and the Panama Canal safe." Johnson's opening remarks already indicated that this was not a pleasant dinner.

"Within three weeks, we can transport an additional 20 to [-] troops to the west coast. If it is absolutely necessary, the local militia auxiliary force will also be mobilized quickly." Vance said.

"Even if the Chinese fleet requisitions all the ocean-going ships, it can only transport 15 to 20 troops to land while maintaining the supply of its main fleet." Secretary of the Navy McNamara continued, "However, from various aspects of the situation Looking at it, before occupying Hawaii and restoring the defense functions of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, the possibility of the enemy directly landing on the west coast is very small. , the navy and army also have the power to defeat them."

After listening to the explanations of the two ministers, Johnson finally felt a little relieved. After gaining confidence in the homeland defense, Johnson couldn't wait to raise the issue of counterattack. "When do you think the United States can counterattack?"

"Not likely anytime soon," said Vance anxiously.

"But what about Hawaii? Are we going to let the enemies based in Hawaii attack at will?" McNamara was dissatisfied.

"So what? Can they bring a million people ashore at one time? We have a million troops waiting behind the coast, and we have a fleet to help defend, and a small landing force can't stand at all. As long as the mandatory military service law is passed immediately, and According to the wartime military industrial organization law, there is no problem in building an army of 100 million within two years. What about the navy? Can the navy guarantee an overwhelming advantage over the Chinese fleet within two years?" Vance asked.

McNamara raised his head unconvinced: "As long as the new naval bill is passed immediately, well, that bill still needs some amendments, the shipbuilding schedule should be advanced, and the development of naval aviation and strengthening of warship air defense will also be added. The content of the capability but we all understand that two years is enough time, and after two years our new fleet is enough to destroy any enemy in the Pacific."

澳大利亚大堡礁军港，当地时间12月28日晨，成立还不到12小时的英法荷三国联合舰队正整装待。三国联合舰队主要远洋兵力将在此战中倾巢而出：包括6艘无畏型战列舰、1艘战列舰巡洋舰和4艘旧式战列舰，10艘装甲巡洋舰、14艘防护巡洋舰和30艘驱逐舰。这些兵力将编为3个战列舰分队、6个巡洋舰分队和4个驱逐舰分队，由伯尼中将坐镇“马来亚”号统一指挥，定于28日9：00出航，预计三到四天后先突入苏比克湾。

Lieutenant General Bernie's flag was hoisted on the masthead of the "Malaya". This battleship, known as the world's number one, was about to start its first battle since it entered service.Lieutenant General Bernie is full of ambitions. According to the information collected from various sources, almost all the dreadnought battleships and battlecruisers of the Chinese Pacific Fleet have gone to Hawaii. The enemy in the South China Sea has at most 10 old battleships. The capital ship has obvious advantages, and just one "Malayan" is enough to kill three or four outdated warships of the opponent.

With the sound of the whistle of the "Malayan", the 65 warships of the combined fleet of the three countries, led by more than a dozen patrol boats and gunboats, left the naval port of the Great Barrier Reef and prepared to form a formation in the waters east of the Great Barrier Reef.

At this time, within a depth of 30 nautical miles near the east mouth of the Great Barrier Reef, 33 shark-hunting submarines of the Pacific Fleet are dormant underwater, waiting for their prey to come to their door.

"A torpedo was found in front of the port side! Distance!" the lookout exclaimed, waking Lieutenant General Bernie who was daydreaming.

"I leave it to you." Bernie said calmly to the captain, Colonel Anson.

Colonel Anson, with a broad face, said nothing, and went to the forward rudder himself. A few minutes later, the lookout reported: "The torpedo passed through the stern of the ship and evaded successfully!"

Just as Bernie breathed a sigh of relief, another lookout reported: "Before the starboard side, the cruiser 'Qiangsheng' was hit by a mine!"

"What?" Bernie muttered.

The "Qiangsheng" with standard displacement is indeed the largest and most useless protected cruiser in history. This class of warships is much larger than ordinary armored cruisers. It is equipped with 48 coal-fired boilers. There are many, but the disadvantage is that the armor is weak, and the firepower is not proportional to the body shape. There are only two 2-inch and twelve 150-inch guns on the [-]-meter-long hull, which seems a bit weak. The fifth cruiser squadron flagship "strong "" was hit by two torpedoes only two hours after leaving the military port, tilted rapidly, and disappeared from the sea half an hour later. Its sister ship "Gudry" was also hit by a torpedo, and the bow was hit It fell off and had to return to Hong Kong for repairs.

The surrounding patrol boats and destroyers were not idle either. They ran around with full horsepower, and a series of depth charges rolled into the sea. Accompanied by dull explosions, jets of water rushed towards the blue sky.

Before nightfall, the Far East Combined Fleet lost the French armored cruiser "Ferry" and a destroyer, the Dutch dreadnought battleship "Sumatra" and the old British battleship "Agamemnon" were injured by mines successively, and were forced to Return to Hong Kong.The remaining 1 warships only maintained the "zigzag" anti-submarine route and continued to march towards the first target, Subic Bay.

Lieutenant General Bernie is still full of confidence.

At 1 pm Hawaii time, the northern suburbs of Honolulu.

"Surrender, it's impossible!" In the face of more than a dozen local figures, including Mayor Marian, Lieutenant General Scully, commander of the Hawaiian garrison, categorically rejected their request.

Although the Pacific Fleet's bombardment of Oahu two days ago did not cause much damage, it made most of the local white residents lose the will to resist.The coastal defense turrets can't hit the enemy ships at all, and Honolulu will be bombarded into ruins at any time.The leaflets dropped by the enemy planes are bewitching, and Pearl Harbor, where there is only a pile of shipwrecks, is even more desperate. Where is the US fleet?Where did the fleet go?
The originally arrogant Mayor Marian quickly made a 180-degree turn and led representatives of local white people from all walks of life in Hawaii to the garrison headquarters far away from the urban area to petition and negotiate with the enemy.Seeing that Scully refused without even thinking about it, Marian did not give up so easily: "General, negotiations are just negotiations!"

Scully made a serious face: "The leaflet clearly states that my men should put down their weapons, so what is there to talk about!"

"Are you willing to watch the whole city be reduced to ashes?"

"If they will butcher their own kind, let that damned city be reduced to ashes. As for you, Mr. Mayor, and you, fellow Americans, if you fear loss, go back and pack your things, away from the coast, The farther the better. Of course, if you want to promote the unyielding spirit of the Americans, turn left downstairs and you will see the militia rally."

"General, we can't move the houses too, I mean, the hotels, the restaurants, the bars, the shops, the factories"

Scully shrugged disapprovingly: "Yes, houses, shops, factories, these messy things, God. But have you ever thought about whether this city has more houses for us white people or more houses for those yellow-skinned monkeys?" ?I have ordered the Coast Guard to drive all the yellow people in the city into Chinatown, and barricade all the passages, and if the enemy really wants to destroy the city, well, their hands will be covered with thousands The blood of my fellow countrymen!"

(End of this chapter)