"Are you going to attack at night?" Halsey asked.＞≥

"Of course!" Zhang Chi replied.

"But you know... we can't provide fire support to your troops at night, or only a small amount of fire support."

"We don't need fire support!" Zhang Chi replied: "In fact, even during the day, the Navy cannot provide us with enough fire support, right?"

Halsey thought about it and nodded in agreement.

The reason is that the survivors of the 2nd Regiment of the 6th War are still on the island, and the width of Bito Island is only about 500 meters. It is almost impossible for warships or fighter jets to bomb the Japanese army without accidentally hurting their own people.

"There's another thing!" Halsey said worriedly: "It's hard to distinguish between enemies and us at night, and this will be a big trouble!"

Of course, the problem Halsey mentioned exists, especially the Chinese team and the US team are not in language communication, and what's worse is that the Chinese people look very similar to the Japanese.

But Zhang Chi replied confidently: "I don't think we need to consider this issue!"

"Tell me about your plan!" Halsey was a little unbelievable, or he couldn't believe it.

MacArthur also turned his attention to Zhang Chi. He was also curious about the method this Chinese planned to use to take down Bito Island, which even had more than 3,000 American soldiers in need of rescue.

"First, we have to determine the Japanese's forces and distribution!" Zhang Chi said: "I think there are about 6,000 Japanese troops on Bito Island, and most of these forces are distributed on the west and south sides of Bito Island, which is the two directions of the attack of the 2nd Division of the 6th Battle!

Halsey stared at the map for a while and replied: "Of course the Japanese will concentrate their troops on the west and south sides, because only these two sides are externally convenient for our army to attack..."

As mentioned earlier, Tarawa is an atoll, with 26 islands and reefs of all sizes and sizes encircled in a circle. So Bito Island, located in the southwest of the atoll, faces the broad sea only to the west and south, while the north and northeast sides are in an arc and are circled inside by the atoll. If the US military wants to attack Bito Island from the north and northeast, it must pass through a narrow entrance on the west side of the atoll to enter the lagoon (note: The lagoon refers to the local seawater area surrounded by the atoll and separated from the outer sea), and then attack the Japanese army.

If you attack like this, it will obviously cause more trouble for the US military. Even the firepower of the Japanese troops distributed on the atoll islands will form a natural encirclement for the US military entering the lagoon.

It is precisely because of this that the Japanese army's defenses on the inside of the lagoon are weaker.

"What I don't understand is...how did you judge the Japanese's strength? There were more than 6,000 people!" Halsey asked: "You must know that we can do everything possible to reconnaissance, but we can't get information in this regard!"

Zhang Chi flipped through the pile of photos on the desktop, picked up one of them and handed them to Halsey, and asked, "Did you see the little huts in the photos? Yes!" Halsey replied, "Can this tell me what?"

"That's the Japanese toilet!" Zhang Chi replied: "According to Japanese habits, a squadron usually has such a toilet, and this photo has more than twenty such toilets..."

"Oh!" Halsey couldn't help but realize it.

After being stunned, he found several photos from another pile of files. After looking at it, he handed the photos to MacArthur who was standing aside with suspicion.

After looking at it for a while, MacArthur smiled and said, "This is too ridiculous, this is impossible... If you calculate it this way, there are only six or seven hundred Japanese on Makin Island!"

"Maybe Zhang is right..." Halsey replied: "This can also explain why the American 27 landed on Makin Island so smoothly!"

"But Rick, are you trying to tell me... More than 6,000 people in the two groups of American 27 were blocked by more than 600 Japanese people and could not move?" MacArthur felt that he was humiliated.

"At least... we will know the answer when the war is over!" Halsey replied: "Because that is an island, isn't it? The Japanese will not come out more, nor will they lose a few, unless they commit suicide by throwing themselves into the sea!"

MacArthur snorted coldly and stopped talking.

In fact, Halsey was a little dissatisfied with MacArthur because MacArthur was the planner. When formulating this combat plan, he even swears that the navy would not be stranded when attacking Tarawa. Now that this situation is really happening, MacArthur seems to have completely forgotten what he said before, and even feels complacent because the US 27th has compared the Navy 6 team, which makes Halsey feel a little deceived.

"Colin!" Then Halsey asked Zhang Chi again: "What's next? I think you are planning to enter the lagoon and climb 6 from the north and northeast!"

"Yes, general!" Zhang Chi replied: "First, as I said before, the Japanese army on both sides have not many troops and their defenses are not strong. Secondly, we will not be confused or accidentally injured when we get mixed up with the 6th War 2nd Regiment from the north. Again, the 6th from the north can form a situation of attacking the Japanese on both sides!"

"It's reasonable!" Halsey nodded.

"I have to give you a favor, Colonel..." MacArthur interrupted with some dissatisfaction: "It is very dangerous for the troops to enter the lagoon. First you have to pass through the narrow entrance, and there is a very likely blockade by the Japanese with mines. Secondly, if you enter the lagoon, you may be hit in all directions!"

"So I don't plan to be seen by the Japanese!" Zhang Chi replied.

"Not being seen by the Japanese?"

Upon hearing this, Halsey and MacArthur stared at Zhang Chi in confusion.

Halsey asked: "How is this possible? The sound of the motor on board the 6th boat will reveal your position!"

Halsey's doubts certainly make sense. If it were just one or two boarding boats, it would be possible to dock without the Japanese noticing, but that would be dozens or hundreds of boarding boats.

"That's why we need artillery bombing!" Zhang Chi explained: "What we need is not artillery fire support, but the sound of shell explosion!"

"Oh!" Halsey understood after hearing this: "Cover the sound of the motor with the sound of the shell explosion!"

"Yes!" Zhang Chi nodded, and then added: "If necessary, the second regiment of the 6th Battle is also required to launch a feint attack to attract the attention of the Japanese!"

"Good solution!" Halsey agreed.

"But how do you let the boat board 6 avoid the Japanese searchlight?" MacArthur asked.

"We need smoke bombs!" Zhang Chi said: "I think the 2nd Regiment of the 6th Battle can do this for us. On the other hand, when we board the 6th boat and enter the lagoon, the first wave will not directly use the 6th boat and board the 6th boat, but will be armed swimming!"
Chapter completed!