Immediately afterwards, the offensive target was put on the agenda.[)

The Marshall Islands are composed of 29 atolls, 5 remote islands and 867 large and small coral islands, distributed on a vast ocean of 750,000 square kilometers. If coral reefs are also included, there are 1,152 large and small islands in the Marshall Islands.

This is also one of the reasons why the Japanese army has weak defenses in the Marshall Islands... There are too many islands and reefs that need to be defended, and there are 29 atolls alone. Even if the Japanese army does not defend other islands and reefs, 30,000 people are only used to defend these 29 atolls, and the average number of each atoll is only one thousand.

Of course, the Japanese army also chose some of the large area and important strategic locations to defend, but it inevitably caused the dispersion of troops.

What's worse is... At this time, the Japanese army had completely lost their naval and air superiority in the face of the powerful US Navy, which means that the Japanese troops scattered on various islands and reefs are unsupportive, so they are like a mess, and they can only wait for the fate of being defeated by the US military.

For the US military, it is impossible for so many islands and reefs to become targets of the US military, so we must select some islands with more military value from them.

According to the original plan, which is the plan code-named "Operation Flintski", the US military selected three islands as targets of attack.

The three targets are Eniwitok Atoll, Cosray Island and Wake Island.

Zhang Chi opened the map of the Marshall Islands and soon found the three islands on it. Then he understood why the US military chose these three islands as targets.

Among them, Eniwitok Atoll is located at the northernmost end of the archipelago, Cosray Island is located at the westernmost side of the archipelago, and Wake Island is located in the farthest northeast of the archipelago.

It is obvious that if these three islands are taken, the US Navy will encircle the Marshall Islands from three directions... As mentioned before, they occupied these three islands, then built airports and ports on the three islands, and then the 6-base air force will enter. With the cooperation of the 6-base air force, aircraft carriers and warships, combined with the newly captured Makin Island, Tarava Atoll and Abemama Island, which were recently captured in the south, will form an encirclement composed of fighter jets and warships. This iron barrel-like encirclement will block the Japanese army of the entire Marshall Islands from the outside world, and then the US can slowly eat the Japanese army trapped in it one by one.

This plan should be said to be feasible, especially when the US military has fully gained the sea and air superiority, any attempt by the Japanese army to break through the blockade will be ruthlessly hit.

But the problem is... The Marshall Islands have 750,000 square kilometers and more than 1,000 islands and reefs. According to this strategy, when will the US military clear the Japanese army in the Marshall Islands and then carry out the next counterattack?!

"General!" Zhang Chi said to Halsey: "I think it is necessary for us to change the offensive target!"

"Is there anything wrong with them?" Halsey's face was a little puzzled.

"I know that the geographical location of these three islands is very important!" Zhang Chi said: "I also know that if we occupy these three islands, we can surround the Marshall Islands. But... the encirclement is too large, exceeding 750,000 square kilometers. Although we rely on aircraft carriers to form an encirclement, after the encirclement... how many troops do we have to launch the next attack? Even if we still have the troops to launch an attack, how long will it take to attack to include the Marshall Islands in the territory? One year? Two years?!"

Halsey was stunned when he heard this. Some naval generals mentioned this issue that Zhang Chi had already mentioned. The distance between the three islands was too far to support each other. The aircraft carrier must rely on the aircraft carrier to form a siege. This will disperse the US military's forces and the aircraft carrier is vulnerable to attack. The biggest disadvantage is as Zhang Chi said. This battle will last for a long time, which means more material loss and war damage.

After thinking about it, Halsey replied: "The battlefield may not be like this. The reason why we chose these three islands on the periphery as offensive targets is that they have an important strategic position, and the second is that they are far away from the center of the Marshall Islands, which is relatively easier to attack. Third... After we seize this island, we will use these three islands as the basis to gradually seize the island and compress the space of the Japanese army, and finally compress the Japanese army to the center of the archipelago and annihilate it!"

This was something that Zhang Chi did not expect. This tactic was called "layer-by-layer" tactic by the US military. The more vivid term is to "peel onions" and peel the Japanese defenses layer by layer until the Japanese army was annihilated.

"I always think this is unnecessary!" Zhang Chi replied.

"Where are your doubts?" Halsey asked.

"What is the purpose of us surrounding the Japanese like this?" Zhang Chi asked.

"The purpose of the surround?" Halsey replied incrediblely: "Of course you know the purpose of the surround. Once we surround the Japanese, they will not get food or fuel. Without these tanks, planes and warships will become scrap iron..."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Zhang Chi interrupted Halsey: "General, do you think the Japanese cannot get food in the waters of 750,000 square kilometers and more than a thousand islands and reefs? Do you think the Japanese tanks, planes and warships are not scrap iron?"

This immediately stunned Halsey.

Zhang Chi's words undoubtedly hit the nail on the head.

Regarding food, the Japanese have amazing endurance. Even in barren lands like Guadalam, they can still persist when they lose supplies, let alone a place as big as the Marshall Islands.

As for tanks, aircraft and warships... in front of the powerful US navy and completely disproportionate air fleet, although it cannot be said to be scrap iron, it cannot become a threat to the US military. The US military even hopes that the Japanese aircraft and warships can fight with the US military, so that the US military can eliminate them as soon as possible and concentrate all their forces to seize the island.

The threat from the US military in the Marshall Islands was the Japanese garrison troops stationed on the islands and reefs that died and refused to surrender.

So, as Zhang Chi said, there is almost no difference between having a siege and not having a siege... The Marshall Islands are a bunch of islands, and the supply can only be replenished by warships at sea and planes in the sky, and these two points are under the control of the US military at this time.

"So... Colonel, which islands do you think we should choose as the offensive target?" Halsey asked.

Zhang Chi drew a circle in the center of the Marshall Islands and said under Halsey's surprised eyes: "Directly attack the center of the Islands!"
Chapter completed!