787 New War One Japanese Choice

On the night of July 30, 1938, Tokyo, Japan.

At nightfall, another large dark cloud drifted over the Pacific Ocean and hung low over Tokyo, and thunder rolled through the sky from time to time.

It's the rainy season in Japan, and it's a frustrating one.

The intermittent rain has been falling for many days, and people's mood seems to have become hazy with the continuous rain. In a tavern in Shinjuku Kabukicho, at the moment, it is brightly lit and full of people. The elite officers of the Japanese Army Ministry, the General Staff Headquarters, the Navy Ministry, and the Navy Command Department did not go home after work, but gathered here lively, pushing cups and changing lamps, and drinking happily.

In the past few days, the leaders of the Japanese army and navy, the bigwigs in the political circles, and the confidants of Emperor Hirohito are gathering together to hold a national policy meeting, which is said to discuss the future direction of the development of the Japanese Empire...... The conference was held against the backdrop of the Sino-German and Soviet war, which broke out again on May 2, 1938, and seemed to have come to an end with the end of the Battle of Moscow. China and Germany have once again won a brilliant victory! From west of the Bering Strait all the way to the east of the Maginot Line, two world empires that are allies of each other seem to dominate all of Eurasia! I wonder if I will dominate the world in the future! Under such circumstances, where should Japan go from here? Hence this so-called national policy meeting.

However, the national policy meeting was held for a long time, but no new national policy was formulated. Because there are too many different opinions among the various military leaders in the Japanese army! The royal faction was obsessed with achieving continental hegemony, and they did not seem to see how millions of Soviet Red Army troops collapsed in front of the Chinese and German Panzer Corps! Hell-bent on recreating the glory of the 3 million Army......

Nagata Tetsuyama, Okamura Ninji, Ishihara Waner, and others of the unification faction were more realistic, but their idea of a joint German support was not very convincing, because China and Germany seemed to gradually begin to get carried away after defeating the Soviet Union. Turning a blind eye to Japan's frequent flattery! Japan was even regarded as a lackey of Britain and an enemy of China and Germany because of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Alliance signed not long ago. Under such circumstances, even if Nagata could convince the leaders of the various factions of the army and navy, it was estimated that it would not be possible to obtain a sufficiently satisfactory joining condition from China and Germany.

Isoroku Yamamoto, the core figure of the Japanese Navy and vice commander of the Navy's Military Command Department, put forward his views on behalf of the Navy at this meeting. The Navy believes that if Japan wants to expand into the South Seas and occupy the LinkedIn French colony, it must form an alliance with China. On the other hand, if Japan wants to adhere to its continental policy and develop toward the Asian continent, it must form an alliance with Britain and France. In the current situation, Japan must choose one over the other, and must not oscillate between the two. Moreover, Yamamoto also hinted at this meeting that if Japan chose to ally with Britain and France against China and Germany, then China's powerful Nanyang Fleet would be the most dangerous enemy of the Japanese Empire. It was necessary to use Japan's powerful aircraft carrier fleet to deliver a annihilating blow at the beginning of the war! If possible, it is best to strike a surprise blow to Zhanjiang Military Port, the home port of the Nanyang Fleet! Otherwise, with China's heavy industry strength that far surpasses Japan's several times and Germany's advanced technology...... Japan will soon be overwhelmed by China.

Although Yamamoto's plan to use aircraft carriers to inflict annihilating blows on China's South Sea Fleet attracted the attention of both the imperial and control factions of the army, they did not dare to make an immediate decision and agreed with the navy to provoke the big tiger of Chinese imperialism. After all, the army and the Far East and North Korea are under the threat of the powerful Chinese army, and if the Chinese suffer losses at sea, they will definitely want to get it back on land, and then the Japanese Far East Army and the Korean Army will be wiped out if they do not do well.

Of course, the "animals" of the army will not always support Yamamoto's adventurous plan, and the wishful thinking of the emperor is to wait until the Far Eastern Army and the Korean Army have established a solid defense system, and then carry out the navy's surprise attack plan, so as to achieve a great victory for the navy and army at the same time! However, Nagata Tetsuyama, the leader of the unification faction, still wanted to strive for an alliance treaty with China that would benefit Japan, and lock the direction of Japan's expansion in the fertile Nanyang and Australia.

When the lobbying was fruitless and the two army factions quarreled endlessly and could not reach an agreement, Yamamoto Isoroku simply acted as a peacemaker between the army control faction and the imperial road faction, and invited Admiral Nagata Tetsuyama and Admiral Mazaki Shizaburo to drink and talk together at a tavern in Shinjuku.

After three rounds of drinking, Yamamoto Fifty-six first cut to the point, saying, "Your Excellency Nagata, Your Excellency Mazaki." If the Empire still wants to make a difference in this war, then the two must agree as soon as possible and make a choice between the British and the Chinese. If the Army is in favor of the United Nations and the United Kingdom, then please support the Navy's plan to take the initiative! On the contrary, it is also necessary to reach an agreement with China as soon as possible to divide the offensive objectives of each country so as to avoid misunderstandings in the future. ”

"Oops...... Yamamoto-kun's suggestion was very timely, and we are indeed about to make a decision now, because war between China and Germany on the one hand, and between Britain and France, was already on the verge of breaking out. Nagata Tetsuyama took over first, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the small, Japanese-style square table, as he deliberated on his words. In fact, from the bottom of my heart, I agree with Mazaki-kun's opinion, Shina is indeed a sworn enemy of the Japanese Empire, and an alliance with them is indeed a bitter wine that is hard to swallow. But the military power of China and Germany was there, and they were quite sure that they would win the war, and Japan would only be able to share the fruits of victory after the war if they were on the side of the victors......"

"But after the alliance between the empire and China, can the interests of the empire be guaranteed? If China and Germany defeat Britain and France, they will be world hegemons...... Is it necessary for them to share the fruits of their victory with the Empire? Wouldn't it be better for China to swallow the whole of the Eastern world and Australia alone? Masaki Shizaburo paused, turned his head to look at Yamamoto, "Yamamoto-kun, tell me, if you were Luo Yaoguo, would you agree to give Australia and Lanyin to the empire?" ”

"Australia will never do!" Yamamoto fifty-six cut the tunnel. He went on to say: "If the empire gets Australia and the Seal, there will be no bottleneck in its development for decades to come." Moreover, the Japanese Empire, without land and resource constraints, will be able to catch up with China in less than 10 years, and within 20 years, the heavy industry of the empire will far exceed that of China! It will be difficult to say who will be the hegemon of the East at that time. And in the eyes of Luo Yaoguo, the chief of the general staff of China, it is impossible for him not to see this, so he will not really ally with the empire! ”

Regarding Yamamoto Fifty-Six's analysis, Nagata Tetsuyama also nodded lightly to express his temporary agreement, his eyebrows gradually twisted, and sighed: "Yamamoto-kun's analysis is very reasonable, but the problem is that the military strength of Germany and China is far stronger than that of Britain and France, if the empire follows Britain and France to go to war with Germany, in the end, once Britain and France fail, the fate of the empire will be ......."

Seeing that Nagata Tetsuyama had been shaken, a smile appeared on the corner of Yamamoto Isoroku's mouth: "Your Excellency, General, please don't forget the United States!" The industry of the United States surpassed that of Germany, China, Britain and France combined, and in the last world war, Britain and France won because of the participation of the United States. I believe that in this world war, the United States will also adopt an attitude of supporting Britain and France, and will even directly participate in the war! If the empire is on the side of Britain and France, it is also on the side of the United States. In the event of the fall of Britain and France, the United States will not allow the empire to follow in the footsteps of Britain and France, and they will definitely support the empire with all their might...... With the weapons of the United States and the samurai of the Empire, the Japanese Empire will definitely be invincible. At that time, perhaps China will consider winning over the Empire, after all, the Empire is very close to China and will become a bridgehead for the United States to threaten and contain China! ”

Nagata Tetsuyama was silent, he had only considered the balance of power between Britain and France and China and Germany, and did not think of the powerful industrial strength and war potential of the behemoth of the United States. Once the United States joined the side of Britain and France, the tide of world war could be reversed. If the four-nation alliance of Japan, the United States, Britain and France can defeat the Sino-German alliance, Japan will definitely be able to achieve its expansion goals on the Asian continent! But the question is, will Japan survive until the United States enters the war?

"Yamamoto-kun, does the navy have what it takes to ensure that the mainland is not invaded by Shina?" Nagata Tetsuyama hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Isolationism is rife in the United States, and there is the Neutrality Act there to restrain their politics. Therefore, the direct entry of the United States into the war may not be a matter of overnight, and perhaps the empire will have to rely on the navy to defend it for a long time...... If the armored corps of China is allowed to land on the Japanese mainland, then we will become the sinners of the Great Japanese Empire through the ages! ”

Masaki Shizaburo also chimed in: "Yes! If the navy was not sure to defeat the navy of China, the empire would rather follow China to eat a little leftovers than risk the destruction of its own land by the army of China to side with Britain and France. ”

On this issue, it is rare for the two factions of the Japanese Army to reach an agreement. During this time, all the newspapers of Western countries were introducing the German and Chinese armored forces at length, and in the pen of those Western journalists, the armored forces of China and Germany were absolutely invincible in the world! And the infantry was as small as ants in the face of thousands of surging tanks, as if there was no other way out but to be crushed into meat sauce and surrender. Such a report naturally made the soldiers of the Japanese Army feel frightened, after all, the Great Japanese Imperial Army in this time and space is not as ignorant as it was in history.

Yamamoto Fifty-six smiled and said, "That's why I have to ask two people to support the navy's plan." With that, he waved at the kabuki who was drinking with him, and the women bowed one after another. Kengoro Hetofu, a young naval captain who had accompanied Yamamoto Isoroku, also stood up, left the room, and went into the corridor to take care of the wind.

After seeing that the idlers and others were leaving, Yamamoto Fifty-six's expression also became grim. He said: "If the navy and the navy of China are put together to fight a grand battle, there is no chance of victory!" ”

"What!?" The two army generals exclaimed in surprise and looked at each other again. Nagata Tetsuyama said: "The Navy has 7 aircraft carriers, and there are only 5 in China, how can it not be defeated?" ”

Yamamoto Fifty-six smiled bitterly: "What's the use of having more aircraft carriers?" It's the carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier that really fights! Now the Navy's shipboard fighter is the Type 96 shipboard fighter, while the China is estimated to be the shipboard version of the BF-109 or FW-190 fighter. The Type 96 is equipped with a 610 hp air-cooled 9-cylinder engine, while the BF-109 is equipped with a 1,200 hp liquid-cooled engine, and the FW-190 is a 14-cylinder air-cooled engine with 1,400 hp...... Just by looking at the performance of the engine, you know that the Imperial Type 96 can't beat others! In addition, the naval aviation of China is equipped with A-4 series dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft, and the army version of this aircraft has performed extremely well in the war against the Soviet Union! Our Type 97 Naval Attack and Type 98 Naval Explosion are certainly not comparable to them. ”

Speaking of this, a trace of murderous aura flashed on Yamamoto's face, and he lowered his voice a little. "Therefore, I suggest that the method of surprise attack be adopted, and without declaring war, surprise the Zhanjiang Military Port, the home port of the South Sea Fleet in China! As long as you can blow up and sink all the aircraft carriers in China! Within two years, the entire Western Pacific was under the control of the Empire. No matter how strong the army in China is, at most it will be able to conquer the Far East, and the Japanese army should be able to rely on the mountains of North Korea to block the attack of the Chinese people. Moreover, without sea control, it will not be able to reach the Japanese mainland. At that time, the empire will be able to determine the next expansion target according to the situation on the battlefield in Europe! ”

"What do you mean?" Nagata Tetsuyama was puzzled.

Yamamoto Fifty-six smiled coldly and said, "Nagata-kun, in fact, the new living space of the empire does not have to be obtained from the enemy, but can also be obtained from the allies!" If, on the European battlefield, the armies of Germany and China were defeated by Britain and France, the empire would naturally gain new territory from the mainland. On the contrary, after the defeat of Britain and France, France, which had lost its homeland, Britain that was trapped in the British Isles, and the United States, needed the force of the empire to contain the southward march of China. It is entirely possible that Lanyin and Papua New Guinea will be handed over to the Empire, or at least that the British will acquiesce in the Empire's occupation of Lanyin...... Unless they wanted to force the Reich on the side of China and Germany as well. ”

Lanyin is the abbreviation of the Dutch East Indies, which is later known as Indonesia, with a territory area of 1.9 million square kilometers, while Papua New Guinea is currently a British dependency with a land area of about 460,000 square kilometers. The sum of the two is 2.36 million square kilometers, which is several times larger than the total area of Japan plus Korea and the Far East! Moreover, Lanyin was also rich in oil, and the Netherlands, which ruled there, had long since weakened, so it had long been coveted by the Japanese navy.

"Yamamoto-kun's suggestion is completely feasible." Masaki Shizaburo smiled, "Even if you can only get the Lan Yin, it is completely worth it for the empire to pay for the Far East." Moreover, the empire can also hand over the Far East to the Zhongg to occupy, and the Zhongg and the Kuomintang, which currently controls the national politics, can be described as inseparable...... If the power of Zhongg grows, it may also cause civil strife in China, and then the empire will be able to sit back and relax. ”

"The premise of this scenario is the elimination of 5 aircraft carriers of the South Sea Fleet of the China Navy!" Yongtian Tieshan seemed to have discovered something wrong at this time, and he shook his head, "The home port of the Nanyang Fleet is far away in Zhanjiang. Where are the aircraft carriers of the Combined Fleet ready to approach the Zhanjiang military port from? Do you want to take the Bass Strait? According to intelligence, China can deploy a powerful air force in Taiwan. ”

"Of course you can't pass through the Bass Strait." Yamamoto Fifty-six smiled mysteriously, "The representative of the British Navy has already hinted that if the Combined Fleet goes south to fight, Britain has a way to arrange for them to pass near the American Philippines...... Theoretically, the territorial waters of the US Philippines are only 3 nautical miles, and as long as the Americans do not block it, the combined fleet can completely pass through the high seas. ”

"Oh?" Nagata and Masaki exclaimed at the same time.

They know that the Japanese Navy has been pro-British since the 9/18 war. The British and Japanese navies also often held some exchange activities with each other, and also sent delegations to each other. After the signing of the "Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty," the relationship between the two navies was further advanced, and various combat plans against China were already being discussed, including the plan for the Japanese Navy's combined fleet to go south to the South Seas to engage the Chinese South Sea Fleet. However, the specific route to the south has always troubled the Japanese Combined Fleet, because Taiwan has been firmly occupied by China, and it is no longer possible for Japan to go south from Taiwan, and the Philippines is the sphere of influence of the United States -- the United States is a neutral country! But now Britain has made a package ticket, saying that it can arrange for the Japanese Combined Fleet to pass through the Philippines. Does this mean that Britain and the United States are getting closer and closer?

"If the Combined Fleet can pass through the Philippines and secretly approach the Zhanjiang Military Port, how sure is Yamamoto-kun that he can destroy the Nanyang Fleet of China?" Nagata Tetsuyama raised his eyebrows slightly and asked.

"The navy is 100 percent sure!" Yamamoto Fifty-six smiled deeply: "Although the current Japanese aircraft are not as good as Shina, but that refers to the usual decisive battle at sea." It doesn't mean being attacked by the Imperial Navy when the Chinese Navy is defenseless! That's 7 aircraft carriers, and you can use more than 600 carrier-based aircraft! With just one successful sneak attack, the Combined Fleet will be able to destroy all 5 China aircraft carriers! ”

"When will the Navy be ready for a sneak attack?" Nagata Tetsuyama asked again.

Yamamoto Fifty-six took a deep breath, "All the preparations will be completed in September this year!" At that time, he will be the commander of the Combined Fleet and personally command the First Air Fleet to attack! ”

"Good!" Nagata Tetsuyama turned around and bowed to Yamamoto Fifty-six. "Then I wish Commander Yamamoto a long time!" As he spoke, he straightened up, his eyes fixed on Yamamoto. "But before that, if China can agree to divide Lanyin and Papua New Guinea, as well as at least half of Australia, to Japan, then the sneak attack plan should be stopped immediately! At the same time, the empire will enter the war with Britain and France, and even the United States! ”

……