On January 9, 1935, the War Office issued a communiqué stating: "As far as Ben is concerned, as a solid force for peace in the Far East, no attempt to bring China under the rule of British and Minian capital must not be allowed." Gu Zhuang, vice minister of the Ministry of the Army, also jumped out to express his position, saying: "The political axe of China disregards the interests of the common people and seeks to state the state of silver, which is bound to cause political or social chaos, and there is even a risk of major incidents. Therefore, it is said that the East Asian forces are responsible for their own affairs, and it is difficult to be negligent. ”

The reaction to China's currency reform can be said to have been very strong, and at the same time as the military took a stand, the financial elite of the company also began to gather to discuss countermeasures.

At this time, Iwasaki Yahisa, who was also sitting there, listened to the somewhat chaotic discussion of the crowd, and his brows gradually furrowed.

And Isamu Fujita, who was sitting not far away, sat there with a gloomy face, without saying a word.

Of course, Iwasaki Yahisa knows why Isamu Fujita behaved like this.

He is still glad that he didn't lend Fujita more money or invest too much in real estate in Shanghai.

But even so, the loss he suffered this time was difficult for him to accept.

And there are many entrepreneurs like Iwasaki Yahisa and Isamu Fujita who have suffered heavy losses.

Soon, the discussion of the financiers focused on the aspects that hindered and undermined China's currency reform.

"Our banks and business community in China should refuse to hand over the silver to the government of China!"

"China should be prevented from shipping silver to England and the United States!"

"We can use the method of hedging silver at a high price and ship the silver out of China!"

"These can only play the role of blocking and sabotage, but cannot fundamentally destroy the new monetary policy of China!" Hearing this, Iwasaki Yahisa couldn't help it anymore and said loudly.

Iwasaki's words were like a bolt from the blue, making the noisy hall gradually become quiet, and many people's eyes were focused on this short man.

"What do Iwasaki-kun think?" Someone asked.

"If you want to regain control of the currency, you should go to war with China!" Iwasaki Yahisa yelled loudly.

"With the support of the British and the United Kingdom, the currency reform of China has achieved a great victory: the financial crisis has been alleviated to a great extent, and once the production of China recovers and the economy recovers, the national strength will be unprecedentedly strong! The currency reform of China has brought about two major achievements, that is, the strengthening of the financial power of Britain and the increase of China's national strength! This is undoubtedly a terrible threat! If you want to break this threat, you have to go to war with China! ”

Hearing Iwasaki's earth-shattering words, Isamu Fujita almost fell out of his chair, and he stared at Iwasaki tightly, trying to determine if he was joking, but when he saw Iwasaki's eyes full of fanaticism, he finally understood that he was not grandstanding, but what he really thought in his heart.

The conference room was surprisingly quiet for a while, I don't know how long it took, I don't know who gently applauded twice, as if infected by his emotions, the applause gradually increased, and the voice became louder and louder, Fujita Yong only knew at this time that more than one person had the same thoughts as Iwasaki Yahisa.

Ship Administration Headquarters, Design Office of Ship Building Department.

"Go to war with China!"

"Reclaim the wealth that has been plundered by China!"

"Yingmi's plot must not be allowed to succeed!"

Standing in the room and watching his subordinates clean up the drawings, Hiraga listened to the shouts of the soldiers and civilians marching outside the window, and his eyes involuntarily fell on the drawings in his hand, probably infected by the fanatical emotions of the people outside, and his eyes hidden behind the spectacle lenses also involuntarily emitted a strange light.

"Is it really necessary to completely abolish welding technology on new ships?" Rear Admiral Fujimoto Kikuo, who was tired and sitting in a chair, looked at Jean Hiraga and asked in a hoarse voice.

"Yes." When Hiraga Jean listened to Kikuo Fujimoto's words, the sparkle in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by indifference and contempt.

"It can't be like this!" Kikuo Fujimoto cried out in despair, "You can't do this! It's a crime! ”

"You are the one who committed." Hiraga said coldly, "It is precisely because of your relationship that two serious accidents have occurred in succession!" ”

Listening to Hiraga Jean's accusation, Fujimoto Kikuo hung his head in pain.

The two serious incidents mentioned by Hiraga were the "Tomotsuru Incident" and the "Fourth Fleet Incident" that shocked the shipbuilding community. It was these two accidents that ruined Kikuo Fujimoto's future.

The so-called "Tomozuru Incident" appeared as a product of the Treaty of London. Since the Treaty of London did not limit the number of surface warships with a displacement of less than 600 tons, there was no limit on the number of warships with a tonnage of between 600 and 2,000 tons, equipped with four or less guns of caliber no more than 155 mm, without torpedo launchers, and with a speed of less than 20 knots. In the early years of the Showa era, the concept of "torpedo boats" in the Honhon's navy was a consequence of the Treaty of London.

In the last years of Taisho, the name "torpedo boat" was abolished in the Shomoto Navy. The so-called "torpedo boats" of the Showa period were actually miniaturized destroyers. For example, the first ship, the Chidori-type torpedo boat, had a design displacement of 533 tons, carried three 127-mm guns and four 533-mm torpedo tubes, and had a speed of 30 knots. Since the displacement is less than 600 tons, it is not limited by the London Treaty. However, it is unreasonable to cram so much equipment into such a small tonnage, and its biggest drawback is the lack of resilience. During the sea trials, the "Chidori" found that when the rudder angle was 15 degrees, its inclination reached 30 degrees, so it returned to the factory for reconstruction, and installed protrusions outside the two sides, with a displacement of 730 tons after the transformation.

A total of four torpedo boats of the "Chidori" class were built: "Chidori", "Mazuru", "Tomozuru", and "Hatsuri". The Tomozuru was completed at the Maizuru Factory on February 24, 1934, and left the port from Maizuru two days later, arriving in Sasebo on February 28 to join the 21st Torpedo Squadron consisting of Chidori and Mazuru. Beginning on 6 March, the squadron began field training with the light cruiser "Tatsuda" as an imaginary target. Due to a mechanical failure of the "Mazuru", only the "Chidori" and "Tomozuru" took part.

On the night of March 11, the 21st Torpedo Squadron and the cruiser "Tatsuda" temporarily anchored in the Terashima waterway between the western part of Kyushu Island and the Nishibiki Peninsula and the Goto Islands. At 1:15 a.m. on the 12th, the two ships lifted anchor and prepared for the final training. However, at that time, the sea was rough and rough, so the order was given at 3:25 to end the exercise, and the whole team returned to Sasebo. At that time, the wind was southeast and east, the wind speed was 20 meters per second, the wave height was 4 meters, and there were occasional showers, but the weather at that time was not very bad compared to the high sea state of the Pacific Ocean. Shortly after the exercise was terminated, the "Tomozuru" fell from the platform and broke due to excessive swaying, so the captain of the "Tomozuru" Captain Okuichi Iwase ordered to communicate with the other two ships by light signal.

At about 4 a.m., the fleet was hit by wind and waves seven nautical miles south of Otchi Island. The sea is surrounded by the northwest coast of the Goto Islands, Hirado Island and Kyushu Island, and is open to the East China Sea in the south.

Soon after the capsizing of the Tomozuru, the Tatsuda found that it had lost contact with it, so it searched the sea with a searchlight and reported it to the Sasebo Castle Keeper. After dawn on the 12th, the Navy dispatched planes to conduct a search. At around 1 p.m., the "Tatsuda" spotted the capsized and drifting hull of the "Tomozuru" and sent out a small boat, lassoed its propeller shaft with a cable, and slowly unloaded it at a speed of one knot to Sasebo. On the way, rescue teams from the Sasebo Port Department and the Sasebo Naval Yard arrived one after another and also participated in the towing work.

The rescue fleet advanced at a speed of 4 knots and arrived at Sasebo Port at 7 a.m. on the 13th. After underwater operations, the mast was removed, and several openings were opened in the belly of the ship, compressed air was injected into the ship, and three sailors working in the engine room were rescued. At 7 p.m., the "Tomozuru" was brought into the dock at full tide and immediately underwent a bottom-cutting operation. In the end, the "Tomozuru" rescued a total of 13 survivors, but 72 people drowned during capsizing and suffocated in the cabin during the towing process, and 28 people fell into the sea while trying to escape and their whereabouts are unknown, accounting for the vast majority of the "Tomozuru" crew.

It is said that the purpose of the navy's torpedo boats built after the Treaty of London was to launch night torpedo attacks on enemy fleets in the open sea at night. Now, the capsize of the open sea at night due to a small amount of wind and waves immediately aroused accusations from all walks of life, believing that this was the loss caused by forgetting the greatest and most important principle in the history of shipbuilding. In addition to calling on the shipbuilding community to conduct introspection and review, the parties also criticized the military's notion that it would rather sacrifice safety than strengthen the armament of ships due to the restrictions of international treaties.

Immediately after the "Tomozuru Incident," the Navy formed an investigation committee headed by Admiral Kanji Kato to conduct an investigation, and concluded that the cause of the accident was caused by a high center of gravity, which was due to a defective design and a large number of weapons. Considering that the requirement to carry a large number of weapons on a small-tonnage ship was, after all, the Navy itself, the designer of the "Special Type Destroyer" and the "Chidori" class torpedo boat, Kikuo Fujimoto, was only punished with "caution."

After the "Tomozuru Incident," the Navy renovated its existing torpedo boats and destroyers in order to increase their stable surnames. The Chidori-class torpedo boat removed two torpedo tubes, changed the turret of the 127-mm gun to a gun shield, and added 98 tons of ballast to the bottom of the ship, completely changing the ship's size. Of the 16 torpedo boats of this class, only 4 were built by the time of the "Tomozuru Incident", and the construction of the remaining 12 was cancelled. In addition, the "Special Destroyer" and "Early Spring" class destroyers were also refitted, with the former adding hundreds of tons of ballast to the bottom of the ship and even pouring lead into the keel to lower the center of gravity. The latter moved the No. 2 turret in the bow to the No. 3 turret in the stern, removed a triple torpedo tube, reduced the weight of the superstructure, and cut the belly of the ship to increase the counterweight at the keel.

Under the influence of the "Tomozuru Incident," the design of the Navy's "Soryu" class aircraft carriers and "Mogami" class cruisers was also changed, shortening the flight deck and removing some anti-aircraft guns in order to lower the center of gravity.

The "Tomozuru Incident" had a great shock to the Navy, and the "Fourth Fleet Incident" that occurred soon after forced it to change its course, completely changing the trend of seeking innovation and change in ship design since the end of the Taisho period, and causing it to return to the old path of mediocrity and stability.

In July 1934, the Navy had basically completed the restoration and improvement of all ships. Beginning in July, the fleets assembled in Hachinohe Oki in Aomori Prefecture in the northern part of the island of Honshu for the Showa 9 Autumn Exercise. Prior to the exercise, the destroyer "Tsukumo" noticed a crack in the bow of the ship when it entered the port in Yokosuka, and Shigeru Makino, a shipbuilder officer of the Ship Administration Headquarters, thought that this was a sign of danger, so he asked the Military Command Department to order that the special destroyer should not participate in the exercise, but his request was refused.

The Showa 9 Autumn Exercise was divided into two fleets, the Green Army and the Red Army. The representative of the Green Army is called the Fleet, which is played by the combined fleet composed of the First and Second Fleets; On behalf of the U.S. fleet, the Red Army played the role of the "Fourth Fleet" composed of warships drawn from the Combined Fleet and second-line warships, including the aircraft carriers "Fengxiang" and "Longxiang", the submarine carrier "Big Whale", four "Myoko"-class heavy cruisers, "Mogami" and other nine light cruisers, "Fukiyuki" type destroyers, and "kamikaze"-class and "Muzuki"-class destroyers built during the Taisho era.

Before the exercise began, the Fourth Fleet anchored at Hakodate Port in Hokkaido and was scheduled to leave the port on 24 September to move forward to the sea where the exercise was scheduled. However, no one knew that two typhoons were hitting Saimoto at the same time, and Typhoon No. 1 was moving north-north-east toward northern Honshu after raging in the Kanto Plain. Typhoon No. 2 was in the sea area between Guam and the Ogasawara Islands, and instead of moving towards the mainland, the typhoon swooped down at 60 kilometers per hour directly from the sea to the intended exercise site east of Honshu Island.

Vice Admiral Matsushita, commander of the Fourth Fleet, attached great importance to Typhoon No. 1 and ordered the departure of the port to be postponed for a day in order to avoid the typhoon front. From 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 25 September, the torpedo squadron, the main fleet, and the submarine fleet of the Fourth Fleet set out from Hakodate in turn and headed for the sea for the exercise. By this time, the speed of Typhoon No. 2 had soared to 90 kilometers per hour.

On the morning of September 26, the Tsugaru Strait was in high autumn weather. Matsushita received the No. 2 typhoon warning from the cargo ship Kokura Maru, and predicted that his fleet would meet it that afternoon, so he ordered all ships to close their watertight doors and portholes to protect against wind and waves. At about 3 p.m. on 26 September, the Fourth Fleet encountered the front of Typhoon No. 2, which was due south, with a wind speed of 40 to 50 meters per second and a wave height of 25 to 35 meters. Matsushita Mototo ordered the fleet to turn around and take shelter from the storm, but he was worried that a collision accident would occur if he turned around in bad sea conditions, and at the same time thought that it would be very meaningful to take this opportunity to train the crew to overcome typhoons, so he ordered the fleet to continue at half speed.

At about 4:30 p.m., the Fourth Fleet entered the area where the typhoon's winds were strongest, and at 4:31 p.m., the bridge of the destroyer "Mutsuki" was flattened by the waves, and the captain died on the spot. The steering gear of the "Muzuki" was also smashed by the waves, and the first class sailor Taka Chiyo stood by the emergency steering gear at the stern of the ship for three hours, always keeping the bow in the direction of the wind, and only then did he save the lives of the entire crew of the ship.

At the same time as the bridge of the "Muyue" was damaged, the flight deck of the "Longxiang" aircraft carrier was also smashed by huge waves, the wall of the hangar at the tail was broken by the waves, and a large amount of seawater rolled over and poured into the hangar, and the situation was very dangerous. Fortunately, thanks to the successful emergency response measures and the strict waterproof zoning, the "Longxiang" was saved from sinking and a life was recovered.

At 5:20 a.m., a huge triangular wave struck the destroyer "Chu Xue", which was lifted by the waves at both ends, and the middle valence was empty, and the huge shear force instantly broke its bow along the bridge to the position of the No. 2 cabin. The captain of the "First Snow" ordered the sailors to support the wall of the remnants of the bow with wood, and at the same time ordered the torpedo to be thrown into the sea to adjust the center of gravity, and 10 minutes later another 106 shells were dropped into the sea and sent a distress signal to the friendly ship with a searchlight. The Hatsuyuki was eventually towed to Ōminato Port by the cruiser Haguro, where emergency repairs were made, and a new bow was installed at the Maizuru Naval Yard. The broken bow of the "Hatsuyuki" floated in the sea for several more hours, and was finally discovered by the light cruiser "Nake", which belonged to the team, but there were no rescue measures at all. As time passed, fearing that the password data stored in the bow of the ship would be leaked, and it was speculated that no one in the bow would survive, the "Nake" sank it with naval guns.

During this typhoon, the bow of another destroyer, the "Blowing Snow"-class destroyer, "Yukiri", was also cut off. The bridges of the four destroyers, the "Muzuki", the "Kikutsuki", the "Sanzuki", and the "Chaokaze", were crushed by the wind and waves. The flight decks of the aircraft carriers "Fengxiang" and "Longxiang" were damaged, and the hangar of the "Longxiang" was flooded with seawater. The rivets in the middle of the hull of the heavy cruiser Myoko were loosened, the outer plate of the bow of the light cruiser Mogami was cracked, and cracks appeared in the central waterline of the hull of the submarine carrier "Big Whale" and the outer sheet of the hull in front of the bridge. In addition, the superstructures of nine destroyers, including "Chunfeng", "Songfeng", and "Chaofeng", were damaged to varying degrees under the impact of wind and waves.

The accident in which the bow of a special destroyer was cut off by a typhoon shocked the navy. After the "Fourth Fleet Incident" occurred, the Navy immediately set up an investigation committee to investigate the cause of the accident.

(To be continued)