"Article 3: Establish a theater joint command center, with the combined fleet as the core, to take charge of the marines, shore-based air forces, and transport and supply formations on the islands of the southern front......"

Looking at this, Yamamoto Fifty-six gasped even more. www.biquge.info In 1889, Japan determined that Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, and Maizuru four military ports set up town guard offices, and their functions and powers were almost all-encompassing, including marines, shore-based air forces, supplies, training, education, vigilance, conscription and many other functions, and there were many very funny practices in them, such as the soldiers recruited in the recruitment area where a town guard was located could only serve on ships registered as their own town guards (a Niigata person was conscripted into the army in the nearby Maizuru town guard house, cannot be assigned to serve on the battleship Yamato, which belongs to Kure Jinshoufu). Of course, such a division is fine in peacetime, but who cares where you enlist in wartime?

For example, the pilots on the Shozuru could not be subordinate to the Akagi, and in the event that the Akagi was sunk, the pilots of the carrier-based aircraft to which the Akagi belonged could only be pulled back in batches to rest and replenish, and on the one hand, there was a shortage of pilots for the aircraft carriers, and on the other hand, there was a shortage of pilots for the aircraft carriers--this was the reason why the two cranes did not participate in the Battle of Midway after the Battle of the Coral Sea.

This is because the fundamental idea of this system is to treat the Combined Fleet and the Castle Guard separately: the Combined Fleet does not belong to a certain Castle Ward, but exists parallel to each Castle Ward. If we have to be more serious, we can only say that the various fleets under the Combined Fleet are subordinate to the Town Guard, and the Combined Fleet is only a temporary organization that only exists after the various fleets are put together, and it is nothing more than that the Combined Fleet has existed for a long time and has basically formed a stable structure. The logical starting point of this set of practices is based on the traditional concept of naval warfare: traditional naval warfare is a plane-to-ship engagement between ships, but now naval warfare is a four-in-one three-dimensional engagement on the surface, underwater, air, and land, and it is necessary to artificially separate it.

Hori's reform idea was to use the theater system to break the system of town guards + combined fleets, and in essence give more and greater command authority to front-line commanders -- for example, fighting in Tarawa or Rabaul, it is not only ridiculous and in fact impossible to accept the command of the town guards thousands of kilometers away from the rear, but it is better to directly delegate power to front-line officers.

In his mind, the local town would remain the stronghold, and four more theaters of war would be established in Truk, Rabaul, Singapore, and Ceylon. Based on the absolute defense circle: Truk is in charge of the eastern part of the sea area, including the Ogasawara Islands, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Gilbert Islands, etc., which begin in the coastal waters of Japan; Rabaul is in charge of the southern part of the sea, including the Solomon Islands, the islands of Guinea, and the islands of the eastern part of the Dutch East Indies; Singapore is in charge of the western part of the sea, including the Indochina Peninsula, Borneo, the Philippines and the islands of the western Dutch East Indies. Ceylon is in charge of the direction of the Indian Ocean and the Japanese islands scattered in the Indian Ocean.

If Yamamoto Isoroku was still the commander of the Combined Fleet, he would of course raise his hands in favor of this approach, but now that he is the Minister of the Navy and a top bureaucrat in the military, he has to consider the content more comprehensively and conservatively -- just as he used to attack his old friend Mitsumasa Yonechi for "conservative thinking, rigid thinking, and bureaucratic style", the person has not changed, but because of his position and butt, his thinking has changed, and he demands stability!

According to Horiyoshi's reform plan, apart from conscription, maintenance, supply, and education, the four major towns and garrisons in the country can hardly afford any combat matters, and only those who can fight wars can have money, and only those who can fight wars can have status and power. It's no wonder that Yamamoto gasped.

"I won't comment on the ideas or anything, you are putting yourself and the Combined Fleet in opposition to too many people, which is not good for the future, my old classmate ......" Yamamoto Fifty-six said with a heartfelt heart, "Although you are a marshal and admiral, this step is too big and easy to get into trouble." ”

"I suddenly remembered what you used to say about Mitsumasa Yoneuchi...... "Horikichi laughed, imitating the tone of Yamamoto Isoroku criticizing Mitsumasa Yoneuchi, "What a great admiral, once he becomes the Minister of the Navy, he becomes not like a human or a ghost, and he says something misty, ambiguous, and confusing all day long, so that the people below are at a loss, so that he looks more mysterious and unfathomable......"

These words were all the whining words that Yamamoto Fifty-six said to Mitsumasa Yonechi when the two were chatting in private, but I didn't expect feng shui to take turns, and it was fulfilled in Yamamoto himself in less than a year.

"This is retribution." Yamamoto Fifty-six couldn't cry and laughed, and sighed again and again, "Seriously, you haven't been here for a few months, our Highness has made a lot of tricks for your business, I'm tired of dealing with these open guns and hidden arrows, it's good to be able to stabilize the current situation, how can I think about reform?" ”

"So he'll think of putting the loss of Midway on me, and I don't care......"

"You're underestimating him." Yamamoto Fifty-six sighed, "I heard that in the past few days, he has been privately looking for someone to understand your operational command, and vaguely accuses you of deliberately allowing the loss ......of Mutsu and Hiei in the Panama Campaign."

"Deliberately?" Horikiyoshi's eyes widened and he asked in disbelief, "Am I betraying my country?" ”

"It is impossible to betray the country, and it is no problem to take the warship that still has hope of saving it to the beach and block it? -- These are his exact words. Yamamoto explained, "You see that there are only 2 Yamato-class, 1 Nagato-class, and 2 Kongo-class battleships left, and it is very difficult to form 2 fleets, and Musashi, Nagato, and Kirishima are still scarred, and he is very dissatisfied." ”

"It's all up to now, and you're still dreaming of a decisive battle in the fleet?" Horikichi said in a disdainful tone, "What if you lose it? Didn't we take out so many Anglo-American battleships anyway? At that time, there were 7 warships in the world, and we had a total of two Nagato-class, and now there are still Virginia and Nagato left in the world, is it not good to fight? ”

"But the whole fleet is one-sided and supportive, so you don't have to worry about that." Yamamoto Fifty-six comforted his old friend and complained, "I'm worried about your other problems now." ”

"What's wrong with me?"

"Lot, do you want to tell you the original words? Keeping you can blow up your lungs. ”

"Okay, you say, I'll listen."

"First, misuse of public funds to buy people's hearts. You pay high allowances to officers and soldiers, buy gifts, and all kinds of things; Second, bribing officers and forming cliques for personal gain. I heard that you sent money to Tsukahara and others to buy villas, and also sent cars to a group of key officers; Thirdly, they are self-respecting and plotting against the German-Italian allies, saying that your relationship with the German-Italian allies is very abnormal, on the one hand, they only recognize you, and on the other hand, the relevant opinions you put forward are in their interests, and they suspect that you have been bribed by the German-Italian leaders; Fourth, he despised his superiors and insisted on going his own way. How many times have you reported and consulted the Military Command Department on combat operations along the way? Fifth, you are proud of your achievements, and you will be asked to return to China in April, but you will not do it, and it has been delayed for nearly half a year......"

"How can I be charged with so many crimes?" Horikichi didn't laugh angrily, "How can such a person still be a marshal and admiral?" This is a ridiculous joke! ”

Yamamoto Fifty-six shook his head and sighed: "I can't figure it out, why do so many things happen when you go out?" Also, where did you get the money to buy them a villa or a car? ”

"Are you questioning me? Or are you interrogating me? ”

"I'm ......," Yamamoto Isoroku was speechless, "It's always okay to ask as a friend, right?" ”

"The Germans and Italians gave it, Germany came out with the big head, and the Italians gave out the small head." Horiyoshi explained, "I sold my old face and the German Führer to fight for it, saying that the soldiers had a lot of combat achievements, achieved their goals perfectly, and worked hard in Europe and the United States, so there are 4 marine brigades with this reward, otherwise where do you think it came from?" ”

"It's so easy for you?"

"What's reluctant, isn't it just a matter of tens of millions of marks? One less capital ship to sink! The German Führer and the Italian leader talked and laughed with me, but they didn't take this to heart at all, and said that they hoped that the Combined Fleet would continue its westward expedition this winter and next spring, and that they were willing to support us with a large amount of military expenses, and besides, ...... Horiyoshi explained, "Tens of thousands of officers and soldiers have seen the prosperous and extremely rich material life in Europe, and they have no idea?" I don't bother to care if I don't reward in China, but I can't afford not to reward if I have merit, right? It's okay once or twice, but every time you use empty vernacular to make people die, who will do it? ”

"A group of old stubborns will definitely suppress you with loyalty and patriotism."

"Whatever, love is what it is, it's great that I quit my job and don't do it."

"Can you quit your job?" Yamamoto was surprised.

"What's not to do?" Horikichi laughed, "Don't you think I'm arrogant?" Can I change places? If I can't do it at home, I'll go abroad. ”

"Abroad?" Yamamoto Fifty-six frowned, "Germany? ”

"The Führer told me before leaving, if I am willing to go to Germany to take up my post, he supports me as the commander-in-chief of the Axis Navy, commanding the entire German and Italian fleets, and Germany will give at least 60 billion marks a year for naval military spending!"

"60 billion?" Yamamoto Fifty-six shook his head in disbelief, "How much does Germany spend on military money a year?" ”

"In 1943 it was estimated at 150 billion, and in 1944 it was probably 1700-180 billion." Horikichi said with a smile, "Although it is said that the yen and the mark have the same exchange rate now, in fact, the mark is far more valuable than the yen, and the price of the same plane sold by the Germans is cheaper than that of our own construction, and the cost can be imagined to be lower." ”

Japan's military budget for this year is only a little more than 60 billion yen, and the army has to divide a large part, Yamamoto Isoroku is completely speechless, and he believes that the Germans will not brag, because the United States is at least three times more than Germany.

"You can't have that kind of thought."

Neither of them expected that while they were talking in secret, King Fushimi Miyahiro was suing Horikichi in the palace, and the charges were basically those summarized by Yamamoto. (To be continued.) )