GBP Chapter 288 Persuasion
Chapter 288 Persuasion
Colonel Li continued solemnly, "This vast expanse of land is the sacred territory of all the people of the Flowering People. As members of the Flowering People, you should feel confident and proud! The Flowering People have experienced a century of vicissitudes and hardships, and finally rose again. Therefore, we have an incomparably deep love for every inch of land and every one of our people. Of course, we will never show the slightest tolerance or forgiveness to those beasts who dare to invade our land and harm our families. Especially scum like Gushan Xiteng, they have forgotten their identity as Flowering People and willingly become the running dogs of the invaders, helping them to harm their compatriots. Such behavior is outrageous, and we will never let them go. They will definitely receive the most severe punishment!"
Colonel Li sighed earnestly, "You mountain ethnic groups have been isolated from the outside world for too long. You should bravely go out, experience the vastness of our land for yourselves, and get to know your brothers and sisters. When you witness with your own eyes so many brothers and sisters, working together, supporting each other, and respecting each other, you will definitely feel gratified and celebrate this friendship!" His words flowed like a clear spring in people's hearts, arousing everyone's love for the motherland and their firm belief in national unity.
As Colonel Li continued to speak, the chiefs of various ethnic groups gradually opened their hearts. They walked to the map one after another, looking at this magnificent map, and asked seemingly naive but reasonable questions. Colonel Li answered them one by one frankly. Of course, if there were things he didn't understand, he would explain them sincerely to these chiefs, and invite them to go out and meet higher-level leaders when appropriate, and they would definitely give the chiefs a more complete answer.
As time went on, under the cover of night, Colonel Li and his colleagues were invited to participate in the Torch Festival held by various ethnic groups. Sitting by simple bonfires, eating simple food and admiring the simple homes of these mountain people, Colonel Li spoke with emotion to everyone, saying, "My fellow countrymen, your lives are too hard. Change is needed as soon as possible."
Ignoring his tribesmen's obstruction, he ordered the waiting advance battalion below via walkie-talkie to bring all their tents up immediately, assemble them in a temporary open area, and hand them over to the people of each tribe. He also ordered them to return overnight and try to deliver more support supplies the next day. The advance battalion commander nearby informed Colonel Li that he had already reported the situation here via walkie-talkie, and that the group army was already preparing, with a large amount of supplies being transported.
When the troops were leaving, they left behind some weapons as requested by Colonel Li, and a platoon of soldiers also stayed behind. They would instruct the people of each tribe on how to use these weapons. After all, there were still some remaining Japanese defeated soldiers and survivors on this high mountain, and their threat to these unarmed primitive people would be fatal.
At noon the next day, troops, primarily from the 537th Regiment, arrived one after another, bringing with them more tents and a variety of food the people had never seen before. The people, who had already enjoyed the warmth of tents and thick quilts during the night, were overjoyed. They sang and danced, warmly welcoming their loved ones. Seeing the people's will, the leaders accepted the terms.
Colonel Li, formerly known as Li Zhongbao, served as a captain and company commander of the 87th Division of the Central Army during the early years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. He experienced life-and-death battles on battlefields large and small for over seven years, racking up countless military achievements. Now a colonel and a regimental commander, he is considered a key figure in the new generation. Liao Yaoxiang made no secret of his fondness for Li Zhongbao and praised the mission's accomplishment.
With the participation of the various ethnic groups in the mountains, the suppression of the remaining Japanese resistance and diehards on Taiwan was much smoother. In less than a month, the remaining Japanese forces on the island were basically eliminated. Land reform and new policies were quickly implemented. By then, the Southern Theater Command had already liberated Fuzhou and other places on the other side of the strait, and new garrisons were gradually arriving from Fuzhou.
On Okinawa Island in the Ryukyu Islands, the Allied Combined Fleet, after days of sustained bombardment and bombing, destroyed some of the island's airfields and exposed defenses, wiping out the Japanese coastal attack craft. The Japanese launched a final assault on the US and British fleets with over 600 suicide submarines. The Japanese Second Fleet, consisting of only one remaining battleship, one cruiser, and several destroyers, also launched a desperate counterattack. While the Allied fleets suffered some losses, these losses were like a pebble dropped into a lake, causing only a tiny ripple against the vast fleet.
On March 3th, after destroying the remaining Japanese fleet and suicide submarines, the Allied landing forces began landing. Although there were three Allied forces, the landing operations were primarily conducted by the Chinese 5st Army and the US 1th Army. The only British force participating was an Australian brigade of approximately 10 men.
The Allies first seized the Kerama Islands, using them as a forward base and temporary rest area. On March 3, the Chinese 11st Army landed on the southeast coast, while the US 1th Army landed along the west coast, approximately 10 kilometers from north to south. The two forces, advancing in a pincer motion, gradually penetrated deep into the interior.
Before landing, because of his previous experience in island warfare, Cai Yong made a request to the theater commander and battle commander-in-chief Admiral Spruance, requiring the landing troops to be quick, accurate and ruthless, and to take the entire island in one go, especially to protect the indigenous residents on the island and not give the Japanese army the opportunity to massacre the indigenous residents after their defeat.
Upon landing on CS Island, the Allied forces immediately launched a series of fierce offensives. That same day, two divisions of the 1th Corps of the 112st Army, the first to land, captured Minatogawa and Yonabaru. The vanguard reached Shuri and launched an encirclement of Naha. Meanwhile, the US Army captured Nagapura, while one division of the 24th Corps seized the North Airfield, while another division advanced to the Central Airfield and captured Harae. Niu DM apparently failed to realize that the Allies had shifted from their cautious approach to the previous island battles to a strategy of large-scale encirclement and breakthroughs. Their main forces in the south were immediately thrown into disarray, facing imminent encirclement. They ordered a general retreat overnight, abandoning the key economic zones in the south and attempting to exploit the terrain and well-fortified fortifications on the northern islands to engage in a guerrilla, protracted war against the Allies.
At dawn on the 12th, the Allied forces met at the East Airfield and liberated southern Okinawa in one fell swoop. Over 3 indigenous and Japanese civilians who had fled north without being able to be taken captive were captured. Cai Yong personally landed on the island and organized the military police to screen the captured civilians. He also requested General Pruence's assistance, allowing two divisions of the 113th Army to forcibly land in the Nago and Kyoda areas in the northern part of the island.
General Prunes was puzzled by Cai Yong's intentions. Landing in the northern part of the island, with its narrow terrain and cliffs, would have made it vulnerable to a fatal attack from the Japanese. Cai Yong's response was straightforward: "Save the people! We must not give the Japanese the opportunity to capture and ultimately harm the indigenous people!"