At about 8:20 a.m. on July 21, 1944, there was a brief period of tranquility in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. The shelling and bombardment, which lasted for more than a dozen days, finally stopped.
However, this tranquility did not belong to the 20,000 Japanese troops guarding **, who knew that the last moment of "loyalty to the emperor" had come. One landing craft after another appeared on the shore, and the US troops began to land on the beach.
Soon, they were gaining a foothold on the shore. However, after nightfall, the Japanese officers, wielding sabers and Japanese soldiers with rifles, launched a "Banzai charge" against the American troops again and again.
The American soldiers were too busy fighting back to think that the island at their feet would be used by their own country to dominate the Pacific Ocean and deter Asia and Oceania. However, it wasn't long before it really became an important tool for the United States.
Through this battle, the United States has demonstrated its great strength and determination, which has had a profound impact on the Pacific region. Despite the brutality of that battle, history has shown that it was worth it.
Twenty years later, "The Complete History" came out, and the author, Americans, made no secret of his cherishing of **: it was the farthest outpost of the United States in the Pacific and the leader in the fortress of national defense.
With just one glance at a map of the Pacific Ocean, you'll understand the importance of the Pacific Ocean to Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and the Asian continent. In this age of missiles and jets, the importance of ** is by no means overstated.
This small island in the western Pacific Ocean covers an area of only 540 square kilometers, but it is 9,000 kilometers away from the continental United States, spanning almost the entire Pacific Ocean!
So how did the Americans succeed in bringing the island into their territory? It all goes back to the docking of a Spanish fleet.
* Not alone, as early as 1590 it was inhabited by indigenous inhabitants - the Chamorrows, who have been living on the island for thousands of years. On March 6, 1521, Magellan became the first Western power to set foot in **, and began mankind's voyage around the world.
However, since then, the indigenous people of ** have faced a serious existential crisis, their numbers have plummeted, and most of them have been assimilated by Spain. Spain, although it has **, has not given it enough attention.
However, the fate of ** does not end there, and new forces are emerging.
In 1802, an American captain led his merchant ship to **. The charm of this land is irresistible to the Americans, who are eager to have their own islands to ** and plunder.
However, the United States was still in the development stage at that time and could not compete with the powerful Spain, so they had to wait patiently. It was not until the end of the 19th century that an uprising against Spain broke out in Cuba, and the United States, which had been waiting for almost a century, immediately stood up and supported Cuba and went to war with Spain.
In this battle, known as the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy quickly advanced towards **, and the Spanish defenders surrendered without resistance. Eventually, in 1898, the United States signed a treaty with Spain.
At the end of the 19th century, the United States gained control of ** through the Spanish-American War, and handed it over to the Navy to manage as a coal station. However, due to a lack of awareness of the importance of the military and concerns about the possible defence of Japan and Germany, the military defense force was almost nil.
The Americans laughed at themselves, ** just an almost forgotten coaling station in the Pacific Ocean. Although some people have suggested that the military force in China should be strengthened to guard against attacks by other countries, the top level of the United States has not paid attention to it.
However, all this changed after the appearance of the Japanese.
The original painting depicts the Japanese landing in 1941, although the distance between ** and Japan is only 2,500 kilometers, far closer than the distance of 9,000 kilometers from the United States, but Japan started late, and by the time it was qualified to find overseas colonies, the world had been carved up, almost all the islands in the Pacific Ocean that could be occupied had masters, and the United States became the biggest obstacle for Japan.
Japan launched an attack on the United States, and in December of the same year, it attacked Hawaii, and the United States surrendered to Japan. Just as Spain surrendered to the United States 50 years ago, the unprepared United States surrendered to Japan again.
* It has gone through many changes of foreign powers, from being controlled by the Spaniards, to being taken over by the Americans, to being occupied by the Japanese, and it seems that it is not being treated with the respect it deserves.
However, that all changed on August 10, 1944. After more than 20 days of fierce fighting, the United States successfully routed the Japanese army and regained its sovereignty.
Since then, the fate of ** has begun to take a major turn and has received unprecedented attention.
On July 21, 1944, U.S. forces managed to recapture ** from Japan. Soon after, they converted it into a sprawling military base.
Here, B-29 heavy bombers take off every day to bomb the Japanese mainland. At the same time, the Pacific Fleet also set up a forward command here. By the end of the war in August 1945, the number of U.S. troops had reached a staggering 200,000, and the number of natives was less than a tenth of that number.
Although the U.S. military has withdrawn one after another, there are still a large number of U.S. troops on it, and until now, this is also because the United States has realized the strategic importance of the U.S.
As long as it is controlled, it will be able to exert influence over the entire Asia-Pacific region.
* The island, which is under construction, was selected by the United States in 1945 as an important intelligence, materiel, and military support point. The United States uses its geographical advantage to provide critical support to neighboring U.S. forces and allies.
Since it is the territory of the United States, Americans do not need to worry about opposition to the establishment of the base. Therefore, the military base on the island covers an area of 29% of the entire island area and is equipped with advanced equipment, which greatly enhances the deterrent power of the island.
Today, ** is no longer the island that can be easily captured.
Andersen Air Force Base and Apra Naval Base, located in **, are important components of the US global strategic system. Andersen Air Force Base has a large number of combat aircraft that can fly to any target in the Asia-Pacific region in a short time.
Apra Naval Base is one of the largest U.S. naval bases in the western Pacific and home to the headquarters of the 7th Fleet, capable of berthing dozens of ships at once, including aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines.
These facilities make it a military center with both offensive and defensive capabilities.
*, this island full of strength, naturally will not let itself be idle. From the Korean War, the Vietnam War, to the later Gulf War and Iraq War, there are many US military planes and ** taking off and setting sail here, or as a transit point.
In recent years, with the return of the United States' strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region, the status of the United States has not declined, but has been rising. The base on the island is constantly expanding, the size of the garrison is also increasing, and the first-class equipment is also being stationed year by year.
However, I am afraid that all of us have our own judgment on whom exactly these actions of the United States are trying to show their strength.
The Nimitz aircraft carrier is moored at a distance of about 3,000 kilometers from the mainland of our country, and together with the Japanese Ogasawara Islands and other places, it forms the so-called"The second island chain", plus"The first island chain", which constitute the two lines of defense for the United States to block China's march to the ocean.
Although China's territory is vast, with an area of more than 5,000 kilometers, the ancestors' yearning for the sea is not strong. However, history has no ifs, and by the time we open our eyes to the world again, the balance of national strength has changed dramatically, and China has entered a period of humiliation with many disasters and difficulties"Clause.
1. The second island chain"Take advantage of this opportunity to appear.
China has come out of those unbearable years, and now the first island chain is within the range of conventional missiles. For the second island chain, especially **, we already have Dongfeng missiles of "**killer" and "**express".
When the quantity and quality of our aircraft carrier formations develop, and we can freely move in and out of the ocean, these island chains will then be self-defeating, and ** will no longer matter.