Days of Infamy by Newt Gingrich & William R. Forstchen

Author:Newt Gingrich & William R. Forstchen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Alternate history
Published: 2012-06-28T15:23:28+00:00

Clark Army Air Force Base Luzon, Philippines December 9, 1941 08:00 hrs local time

Douglas MacArthur walked alone through the naming wreckage strewn across the field, .30-caliber ammunition still lighting off from a burning P-40, at the edge of the tarmac

His escorting guards, armed with Thompsons, walked just behind him, weapons cocked and poised

Fire crews raced past him, most not even noticing the presence of the general, snaking out hoses in futile efforts to save what was left-- and there was damn little left

Inwardly he was now allowing a moment of self-doubt to settle in

Intelligence reports had indicated that it was all but impossible for the Japanese to launch a heavy strike from Formosa. The range was simply too great; only their heavier two-engine bombers or his own B-17s could have leapt the distance. But they had indeed done so, swarms of their planes striking just before dusk of the evening before, all but destroying his ability to repulse an invasion

General Wainwright, his second in command, walking by his side, had the good sense not to say a word, as silent as MacArthur was as he took in the scene of devastation

Beyond everything else, they were cut off. The cable links via Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong had been severed, and given the severity of the onslaught, they could not trust any radio communications

If the extent of damage to Pearl Harbor, which the Japanese radios were openly boasting about, was true, he knew he was indeed cut off

Though he would never admit it to anyone, his hope of survival now rested with the ability of the Navy to send relief, and from past experiences, he held little trust that they would place him at the head of their priorities this day

He finally turned to Wainwright

“Make sure the surviving aircraft are sent out to secondary fields now. Prepare, as planned, for a Japanese landing on Lingayen Bay within the week, perhaps as early as today. I’m going back to Manila.”

Wainwright saluted, saying nothing as he turned and stalked away

Once in his staff car, flanked ahead and behind by scout cars mounting machine guns, he started back to the city. Already, panicked civilians, particularly the wealthier ones, were loading up, heading out of the city, scattering out to the countryside to sit out the impending fight

Plan Rainbow Five. Would Knox and Stimson, let alone the President, honor it? Or would they leave him and his men out here to die, forgotten, now that the Navy that was supposed to bring relief was at the bottom of Pearl Harbor?

He could sense the answer to that one. And he knew, as well, that the so-called fortress position of Bataan was that in name only. If forced back there, his forces would hold out less than two months. He had tried to warn them that he needed ten times the supplies provided so far, and at least another division, preferably two, of well-trained American troops to form the nucleus of a Philippines Defense Force. For what

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