Public Opinion Attack

With a large army being deployed, a garrison of 500 men was utterly incapable of affecting the situation in Samoa.

The bombardment began on July 5, and American Samoa fell on July 5 as well.

Perhaps some people would ask: Even if the bombardment could not kill every soldier in the United States Army, wouldn't the survivors resist?

If the Washington Massacre—the massacre of veterans—had never happened, perhaps some hot-blooded young men would have sacrificed their lives for their country.

But in America now, even soldiers would choose to preserve their own lives first. After all, the US Government would never treat their families well just because they had sacrificed themselves.

Postwar statistics showed that the bombardment had killed more than 100 American soldiers and wounded over 200.

Only a few dozen American soldiers had been killed directly by the bombs. The rest had either been buried when the antiaircraft fortifications collapsed or died from excessive blood loss.

No one should expect good medical treatment in a small place like American Samoa.

Minor wounds and illnesses were one thing. But if someone suffered injuries such as a severed arm or shattered leg, they either had to be transported to the American mainland for treatment or wait to die halfway there.

That was also why the American soldiers had surrendered so quickly. The journey to the American mainland was simply too far, and if they suffered serious injuries, they would most likely die on the way.

On the afternoon of July 5, Silvio looked highly satisfied as numerous American soldiers raised their hands and formally surrendered to Australasia.

Quite a few reporters from newspapers and media outlets were frantically taking photographs nearby. Pictures of the American soldiers surrendering would become the best selling point for their news.

On July 6, newspapers