Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 211 The main battlefield of the Pacific War moved westward, Zheng Yi: Am I the protagonist?

Thailand.

"General Sakata, news has come back from headquarters that the British have rejected China's request to enter the country to assist in the war."

"Red bean paste? So~ga, the British really are a bunch of stupid idiots, hahahaha."

Sakata proudly picked up a map of Burma and said, "Tsuji Masamasa-kun, how do you think we should take advantage of this rare window of opportunity?"

Masanobu Tsuji: "I believe that in the whole of Myanmar, only the Shan State region has relatively flat terrain, which can even accommodate our invincible tanks.
More importantly, there are a lot of people here, and from what I know, they are all new Chinese who have just changed their nationality and can barely speak Chinese.

Sakata: "The Chinese in Shan State? I've heard of them. It's said that they are descendants of a general from the Ming Dynasty."

Masanobu Tsuji: "Hehe, that happened hundreds of years ago. Who knows if it's true or not? But this group of people is indeed quite special. In Thailand, don't they say they are part of the Great Thai Tribe?"

Sakata: "Soga, they themselves say they are Chinese, but the Thai side says they are Thai. The Chinese government recognizes them as Chinese, but the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) side usually does not regard them as Southeast Asian Chinese. Haha, what an interesting ethnic group they are."

Masanobu Tsuji: "So, they are a more suitable nation to conquer. Not only do they have plains wide enough for our tanks to run on, but they also have vast tracts of arable land. They have enough rice to feed our troops, and we can also grow poppies there to earn money."

"If they are Chinese, we can legitimately seize them first. After we're done, we can capture those who are willing to become Chinese and use them as laborers. If they are willing to become Thais, we can legitimately serve as our auxiliary troops."

"This place is located in northern Burma, much closer to China. We can directly cut off the Yunnan-Burma Railway from here. When the Chinese troops leave Yunnan, we can wait for them to tire themselves out. Conversely, if Rangoon wants to come to support, they will have to cross numerous mountains and forests, and transporting supplies will be inconvenient. We can also easily get reinforcements from Thailand."

"Therefore, after we capture this place, we can use it as a base to either coerce or bribe the local Burmese armed forces and preach the great Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Policy to them. Based on our headquarters' strategy, we can promise the local armed tribes that after victory in this battle, we will allow Burma to become independent."

"We can even contribute a small amount of money. If the Chinese can tear up our tracks everywhere, why can't we tear up theirs?"

Sakata: "Hey, Tsuji Masamune, you are indeed a man of great wisdom and have considered everything very carefully. Well, then, without further delay, speed is of the essence. Now, all our troops must attack as quickly as possible to seize Shan State and eliminate the British troops here!"

………………

Zheng Yi was actually prepared for the British Empire's inhumane behavior. When he learned of the result, he didn't say anything else except a long sigh.

Instead, he advised Li Xiaoshi to come back if there was nothing interesting going on, as some things could not be resolved through diplomatic means.

The country of Britain declined too quickly. To be precise, they went from being the world's number one, looking down on others and thinking that they could easily defeat Japan with just a little effort, to now their legs tremble at the sight of the Japanese fleet and they don't even have the courage to fight the Japanese navy. This took only about half a year.

In addition, his bureaucracy was already huge, and with such a sudden change, most of the decision-making officials were probably confused. It was also normal that some people were still immersed in the glory of the British Empire.

At this time, if he had an iron-fisted, authoritarian leader with sufficient prestige, he might be able to make some correct decisions.

But to be honest, Fatty Qiu is not like that.

He was somewhat overpraised by later generations.

So whether the Ceylon Navy was just watching the show or was unable to make up its mind to invite reinforcements from the University of the East, in Zheng Yi's view, this was nothing more than a self-disorder within the huge British bureaucracy.

In fact, Britain's self-imbalance did not improve in history until the end of World War II. It was still sometimes weak, sometimes tough, sometimes letting go and allowing all colonies in the world to become independent, and sometimes tough and fighting for every inch of territory belonging to Great Britain.

The steering wheel was turned all the way to the left, then turned to the right. If the state's behavior was personified, it would appear like a lunatic.

This is normal; this is how a world hegemon behaves when it declines.

This cognitive barrier basically lasted until the return of the Suez Canal to Egypt, when the United States finally gradually accepted the fact that it was no longer the world hegemon.

Although it gives me a headache, it’s actually not that bad.

The Yunnan-Burma Railway is not so easy to be cut off. In fact, even if it is really cut off, Penang has food reserves. If they live frugally, they can at least hold on for half a year. It is not like they will starve to death tomorrow if the railway is cut off today.

Besides, he has air superiority.

As far as he knew, historically, the British were actually very opposed to the Japanese invasion of Burma. In fact, in history, Japan first pushed forward to capture Yangon, and then began to conquer the whole of Burma.

Even in this situation, the British were still stubborn and did not want the support of the University of Tokyo. Finally, they agreed to the rescue of the University of Tokyo when they could no longer bear it.

Moreover, the University of Tokyo attaches too much importance to international reputation.

To put it bluntly, Britain had already decided to give up Burma at that time. For Britain, Burma was just an ordinary colony to block the Japanese army, and it would be lost if it was lost.

But for Todai, this is the only lifeline to receive external assistance.

It's already this time, and we clearly have the support of the United States. Does it really matter whether the British agree or not?
To put it bluntly, the University of Tokyo has not adapted to the fact that Britain has declined too quickly from a world hegemon to nothing.

The British were very treacherous. As far as Zheng Yi knew, when the expeditionary force was fighting, the British were besieged, and the expeditionary force was willing to go to rescue them at all costs. The British were the first to pick up the captured weapons. And when the expeditionary force was fighting, the British turned around and ran away.

They even didn't inform the University of Tokyo when they fled, causing heavy losses to the expeditionary force.

So much so that in history, Li Xiaoshi became a secret major liaison officer of the National Government, with only one mission: to find out news about the British army and inform the University of Tokyo in advance if such a thing happened again.

They are so unreliable that their allies have to plant a spy to find out their true movements.

So how could Zheng Yi not have known what kind of people the British were like?

He himself didn't even force it.

He even felt that it would not be a bad thing if the British's bad face was exposed earlier. After all, this would give him a reason to turn against the British and seize political advantage when distributing benefits after the war.

Besides, if the British don't give up and leave, why would the Americans have any reason to come?
From the beginning to the end, Zheng Yi only regarded the Americans as allies, and the British as complete pig teammates, and could even be regarded as half enemies.

In the past few days, Yamashita Tomoyuki's seven divisions have returned to Alor Setar and started the "sweep across Malaya" that he failed to complete.

At the beginning, Yamashita Tomoyuki used the Malay and Indian divisions to launch a comprehensive exploratory attack, and tried to use the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere to persuade the Malays in Alor Setar to surrender.

The Yugoslav Allied forces were naturally beaten back, and the positions of most of their artillery positions were not exposed, but many of them were still targeted and eliminated by the Japanese army.

There are spies among the masses.

Anyway, no matter whether it is true or not, everyone will first suspect the Japanese, making them suffer in silence.

But these are all minor problems. Zheng Yi already knew that Yamashita Tomoyuki was making a feint attack. In fact, with the limited troops he had, it was unlikely that he could break through Alor Setar through a frontal assault. Zheng Yi was not too worried.

At this time, Zheng Yi had already left Alor Setar and returned to Penang.

It’s not that he was afraid of danger and didn’t want to command on the front line. In fact, he didn’t command at all, he just played a role in boosting morale.

But there is a real distinguished guest coming to Penang today, and he needs to receive him personally.

At the airport, Zheng Yi extended his hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Joseph. I've heard a lot about you. It's an honor to meet you."

"Mr. Zheng, you are truly a name I have long admired. Hello, I need a completely safe basement."

“Of course, I assure you that your security presence in Penang is on par with my own.”

The visitor was the famous cryptography expert, Joseph Rochefort.

He was later called "the man closest to God." His team not only successfully deciphered the vast majority of Japanese military codes in history, but was even able to accurately infer which Japanese person had sent each telegram when eavesdropping on intelligence.

Make the Japanese army completely transparent to the US military.

There weren't many military supplies on the transport plane today, only this godlike man and the entire code-breaking team he carried, and two IBM supercomputers.

"Mr. Joseph, will you be based in Penang in the future?" Zheng Yi asked as he led people to the office.

Joseph nodded. "Yes, according to the intelligence we currently have, the Japanese army has changed their original battle plan. Mr. Zheng, Penang and Yangon will become the main direction of the Japanese Navy's attack."

"Japanese Navy?"

Zheng Yi asked in surprise, "Shouldn't it be the army? Shouldn't the Japanese navy's main attack direction be Australia and Midway Island?"

Joseph: "It is almost certain that Australia has changed its direction to a feint attack, and the Midway plan has been abandoned by them."

“Is… is this so?”

"We have accurate intelligence. Germany has already sent diplomatic envoys and intends to cede Madagascar to Japan in exchange for Japanese naval support. They want to completely lock down Britain. At the same time, Japan is likely to directly attack India."

"If they succeed, the military forces of Japan and Germany will converge in the Middle East, and this will also greatly resolve their oil shortage crisis."

"Rangoon and Penang will be the obstacles they must overcome in order to complete their plan. They are also the best military strongholds for the Allied forces to stop them. If my predictions are correct, the next naval battle will mainly revolve around Penang and Rangoon."

Zheng Yi instinctively frowned when he heard this.

This was so different from his impression of the Pacific War, it was completely different.

As a time traveler, one will instinctively feel dissatisfied and panic about any changes in "history".

He said, "You are all tired from the journey. As the host, we should at least welcome you with something good to eat. Let's talk while we eat."

Joseph: "No need for that. Our work is special. We don't need to rest, and we dare not rest."

Zheng Yi had heard about these people's working style. It was said that they stayed in the basement for 24 hours and never came out, surviving on sandwiches and coffee all day.

But he still shook his head and said, "Today is an exception. After all, you are new to Penang and need to settle in. Since our work requires mutual cooperation, it is necessary to have a meal together, chat and get to know each other."

"No matter how important the work is, it doesn't make sense to work 24 hours a day. As far as I know, don't you Americans have three code-breaking units working together? Even if there really is some important intelligence, I don't think they would miss it."

After saying that, Zheng Yi took Joseph's hand without saying anything and walked towards the hotel.

"Has the Japanese army...really completely abandoned the Midway plan?"

Joseph: "Yes, that's already a feint. Even the attack from Australia is also a feint."

Zheng Yi nodded.

After the initial shock, he quickly accepted the fact that this Pacific War was destined to be completely different.

It can even be said that the entire war is now almost fought around oneself.

But from the perspective of the Japanese army, this is actually very reasonable.

After all, because of his existence, the Japanese army's southern combat plan successfully occupied Singapore and seized the Palembang oil field.

However, Penang, Alor Setar and Yangon were occupied by themselves, and within half a year, they had actually built an air force from almost nothing that was capable of gaining air superiority in the war against Japan.

It also made more Japanese realize how terrifying the United States, the industrial Cthulhu, is when it raises its hands and fully expands its production capacity.

As a result of the chain reaction, the Bataan Peninsula of MacArthur was never conquered by the Japanese army, and more and more people began to counterattack. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the United States were sending reinforcements to MacArthur, plus the guerrillas. It can be said that as long as the Japanese army slacked off a little, MacArthur would be able to push back to Manila.

Therefore, the Japanese army's campaign in the south was far less successful than in history, which led to the fact that the Japanese "victory disease" was far less serious than in history.

To put it bluntly, I'm not that crazy.

Moreover, there was no Doolittle Raid at this time and place, and the Japanese army was not so angry and humiliated that they were not determined to fight the U.S. army to the death.

In history, the Japanese army was so arrogant after taking over the entire South Pacific that the navy came up with a combat plan that divided the troops into three routes, and each naval route was further divided into two or three small routes, in order to fight decisive battles with Britain and the United States in Ceylon, Coral Island, and Midway Island at the same time.

Secondly, of course, the European battlefield has also undergone great changes because of Zheng Yi.

Historically, Japan's choice of Midway Island actually came from Yamamoto himself. Even the Naval Headquarters did not dare to implement such a crazy combat plan. It was Yamamoto who overcame all objections and led to this disastrous defeat.

It seemed to be an extreme arrogance, but Zheng Yi knew that Yamamoto had always been a pessimist and pro-American. He and Mine had tried their best to avoid war before it broke out, and they knew better than anyone that they could not win.

Although he seemed arrogant, it was actually because Yamamoto knew better than anyone that if they fought according to the plan, as long as the United States had time to catch its breath, the Japanese army would definitely lose, and they would never be a match for the US military.

The gap in industrial strength of more than 40 times is not enough to be bridged by courage.

Therefore, Yamamoto, who seemed to be the most arrogant, was actually the most desperate and hysterical in terms of strategy. He insisted on carrying out the Battle of Midway in the hope of directly attacking the US mainland before the US industry recovered.

Now, the changes on the European battlefield have undoubtedly given Japan a new choice: to break through India, join forces with the German army in the Middle East, and then completely join forces to control the world island.

Especially Germany was willing to give Madagascar to Japan.

If the three strategic nodes of Madagascar, Ceylon and Singapore were taken, Britain's connection with its colonies and dominions would be completely severed. Without the ability to generate revenue from its huge colonies, Britain would probably not be able to do anything special given its current state.

On the contrary, the famous Battle of Coral Island seems meaningless when Penang is still there.

After all, the purpose of attacking the coral islands was to cut off US aid and contact with Australia.

But Penang is still there, and the current US aid route is to go to Australia first, then to Penang, and then Penang will provide aid to the Bataan Peninsula.

No matter how you look at this long aid chain, it seems that it is much more reliable for Japan to cut off the Penang node first than to jump over and directly cut off the Coral Island.

Anyway, they have to fight in Penang. Their lovely German allies are waiting to join forces with them in the west of India, so they might as well take advantage of the situation and change the battlefield.

Even in history, attacking India was originally one of Japan's three major routes, otherwise there would be no Battle of Ceylon.

Penang is an important node from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, and its geographical location is quite important.

Yangon is a huge fulcrum in the Indian Ocean, and it can also cut off the supply of East Asia, which is also the top priority.

So it is not surprising at all that the Japanese army moved the battlefield westward if you think about it carefully.

On the contrary, Zheng Yi had always thought that the Japanese navy would meet the US military on the Coral Island as in history, which was actually a bit of a waste of time.

[Fuck, I was just trying to protect myself, so how did I become the protagonist?]

(End of this chapter)