613 Defend the Emperor!? Six Curves to Save the Country

Okinawa, Naha.

Although it is only early spring, the island is already full of hot summer weather. When Lieutenant General Sadao Araki stepped off the plane, although he was only wearing a shirt, a thin bead of sweat oozed from his forehead. On the side of the runway of the airport, several officers were already waiting for him. They were all staff officers who had just been transferred to Okinawa to rebuild Japan's Taiwan Army. Sadao Araki came this time as the commander of Japan's Taiwan Army to direct the military operation of the "counteroffensive" on Taiwan.

Of course, this so-called counterattack on Taiwan is nothing more than self-deception, and even if a million-strong army is concentrated in Okinawa, in the case of the loss of sea supremacy, one can only look at the foreign and sigh. In the past few decades, the Japanese Army has always looked down on the Navy and hoped that these guys who thought they were superior would be unlucky...... Unexpectedly, the navy was really unlucky, and even their earthy army had to suffer together, and the battle situation that could still be maintained took a sharp turn for the worse almost overnight.

It is no longer possible to counterattack Taiwan, but the Ryukyu Islands must be defended. Although Araki and Nagata belong to two factions and have always been incompatible, he voted in favor of Nagata Tetsuyama's suggestion to stick to the Ryukyus, and he also volunteered to serve as the commander of the "Taiwan Army" that was holding the Ryukyus.

This Ryukyu Islands is too important to Japan at the moment, and anyone who knows a little about military affairs knows that this archipelago is like an iron chain at the gate of Chinese mainland, which is a crucial stronghold for containing China, and once the Ryukyu Islands are seized by China, Japan's role as a pawn to contain China will be greatly reduced. At that time, it is difficult to say whether the British, who have become stingy, will be willing to shell out a few pounds to support Japan. It is even possible to appease China at the expense of Japan...... When Nagata Tetsuyama made this point at a cabinet meeting, everyone immediately agreed to send elite troops from Manchuria to strengthen the defense of the Ryukyu Islands. At the same time, the defense of Jeju Island has been strengthened, and this island, located between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, is as important as a lifeline for Japan, which has now lost its sea supremacy, and if Jeju Island is seized by China, the communication between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula will be immediately blocked, and then it will not be a question of whether Taiwan can be recaptured or whether Manchuria's interests can be preserved. It is whether Korea will be lost, and whether the Japanese archipelago will be invaded. So another imperial magnate Shinzaburo Mazaki was also entrusted with the important task of serving as the commander of the Japanese Fourth Army guarding Jeju Island.

In this way, Nagata Tetsuyama unwittingly squeezed out the two giants of the Imperial Road faction from the center, and although Sadao Araki faintly felt that something was wrong, he was helpless.

Several staff officers saw Sadao Araki get off the plane. They all let out a burst of happy cheers, and surrounded them with a smile: "Your Excellency Commander, I can be regarded as looking forward to you."

Sadao Araki greeted them, keeping his eyes on a slightly reserved army officer, who was the highest-ranking and most famous of the officers who greeted him. Sadao Araki stretched out his hand to him: "Kohata-kun, it's great that you can be the chief of staff of the Taiwan Army, Taiwan will be recovered by you and me." ”

This Osa, called Obata is Toshiro Obata who is listed as the third master of the Japanese Army along with Nagata Tetsuyama and Okamura Ninji. In October 1921, the three of them held a meeting in Baden-Baden in southern Germany and reached the "Baden-Baden Secret Treaty" with the goal of overthrowing the army's Sacho faction.

Toshiro Obata politely bowed to Araki, beckoned the staff officers surrounding Araki to disperse, approached him and whispered, "The situation is very bad, hundreds of islands need to be guarded, and our troops are still insufficient." ”

Sadao Araki's eyes were solemn for a while, and he asked in a low voice, "How can this be?" Aren't there already two divisions? ”。

Toshiro Obata replied a little helplessly: "Your Excellency, the two divisions are enough, and they can only defend the main island of Okinawa and Amami Oshima respectively, and the other dozens of islands have no troops to defend at all. Now that the sea is in China, they can occupy any island that is not heavily defended at will...... If all these islands fall, the main island of Okinawa and Amami Oshima will not be able to be defended. ”

Sadao Araki looked at Toshishiro Obata with an indescribable look, nodded slightly, and strode towards the car that greeted him. Before coming to Okinawa, he thought that two or three divisions would be enough to hold the Ryukyus. However, when he was reminded by Obata just now, he realized that his forces were so weak, and the Shina people did not have to attack the main island defended by heavy troops, they only needed to occupy those small subsidiary islands that did not have many troops, and build an airfield on them to block the entire sea area, thus cutting off the connection between the main island of Okinawa and Amami Oshima and Kyushu...... How long can those two islands be guarded? In the warm Okinawan air, Araki felt a chill, and the cold sweat was almost uncontrollable.

Arriving at the headquarters of the Taiwan Army in Naha City, Sadao Araki politely refused the invitation to a banquet arranged by Lieutenant General Yahiko Kamada, the commander of the Guards Division, who had arrived earlier, on the grounds that he was tired from the journey. Instead, he and Toshiro Obata and others plunged headlong into the headquarters war room that had just been arranged. The defense plan of the Ryukyu Islands was studied around the map table.

Toshiro Obata paddled his fingers along the Amami Islands and Okinawa Islands to the Senkaku Islands near Taiwan, and shook his head and complained: "Your Excellency, there are too many islands, even if you don't count the Togara Islands and Osumi Islands close to Kyushu, there are also Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, Kerama Islands, Daito Islands, Sakishima Islands, Senkaku Islands, etc., there are hundreds of large and small islands, and there are dozens of inhabited airports that can be built. ”

"What's going on with the people of China? Where will they attack first? Sadao Araki asked with a frown.

Toshiro Obata said in a low voice: "The aircraft carriers Zhongshan and Guangdong of the China people have arrived in Shanghai a few days ago, and in addition, the Taiwan Strait Theater Command has also been moved from Guangzhou to Shanghai, and four divisions of the army have also been mobilized to Shanghai. In addition, the battlecruiser Selim Sultan will arrive in Shanghai by April 10 at the latest, after urgent repairs. ”

Sadao Araki was stunned: "How do you know so much detail?" ”

Toshiro Obata smiled bitterly: "The people of Shina are preparing a battle plan to invade the empire with great fanfare, and they have no intention of hiding it at all. And the current situation, they have no need to hide it, the many islands of the entire empire are equivalent to a group of naked girls in front of them, and they can only be allowed to ravage wantonly. ”

"Those guys in the Navy are really stupid......" Sadao Araki couldn't help but scold, but what else could he do besides scolding? At this point, it seems that there is only a division of troops to guard. He looked at the map for a while and sighed, "The order of the military headquarters is not to abandon an inch of territory, including the Senkaku Islands and the Ssenshima Islands, all of them must be defended...... Obata-kun, calculate how many troops you need, and then report to the military headquarters. ”

The corners of Toshiro Obata hooked slightly, revealing a bit of mockery: "Your Excellency, the military staff has already estimated the number of troops needed to defend the Ryukyu Islands, and if you want to completely defend it, you need at least ten divisions." It was also necessary to stock up on supplies for at least a year, to transport about 200,000 tons of supplies, in addition to a large number of 105-mm, 150-mm and 240-mm cannons to defend the coast...... These troops and supplies must be in place by the end of April, otherwise they will block the route when the Chinese army is ready. ”

……

With a soft snap, Muto Nobuyoshi threw the three reports for help in front of the Director of the Military Affairs Bureau, Nagata Tetsuyama, and the Director of the Ordnance Bureau, Haruhiko Uemura.

The three reports were submitted by the Taiwan Army, which was responsible for guarding the Ryukyu Islands, the Korean Garrison, which was responsible for guarding the Korean Peninsula, and the Fourth Army, which was responsible for guarding Jeju Island.

The Taiwan army has put forward a request for 10 more divisions and 300,000 tons of supplies, in addition to 200 150-mm heavy cannons, and these troops and supplies must be in place by the end of April, otherwise the shipping route may be blocked, and the Ryukyu Islands will be difficult to guarantee. The DPRK garrison is also a lion's mouth, asking for 15 divisions and regiments, but only 100,000 tons of supplies are needed, mainly weapons and ammunition, and food will be raised from the Korean Peninsula. However, the demand for 400 anti-aircraft guns on the other side of the strait was doubled compared with that of the Taiwan army. The Fourth Army, which defended Jeju Island, demanded five divisions, 150,000 tons of supplies, and 100 shore guns, and demanded that all supplies arrive on Jeju Island by mid-April to avoid being blocked by the China Navy.

Obviously, whether it is the North Korean army, the Taiwanese army, or the Fourth Army on Jeju Island, they are now ready to be blocked, and they are asking for the materials and troops they need to hold out for about a year without backup.

The strength of 30 divisions is relatively large, but the Japanese army divisions that have completed two rounds of general mobilization have already exceeded 100, and even if 30 are reinforced to the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and the Ryukyu Islands, there will still be enough troops to maintain Manchuria and defend the mainland. However, the demand for 550,000 tons of materials and 700 shore fire cannons made Muto Nobuyoshi a little worried.

The six-month war and sanctions have long since consumed most of the material reserves in the hands of the military headquarters, and it has lost coal and iron ore from Manchuria and oil, scrap steel, and other raw materials from the United States and Lanyin. In addition, there was a severe shortage of food supplies, and due to the loss of Manchurian imports, the country's agriculture was again short of labor due to the conscription of a large number of young men into the army...... Japan may even face a famine in the foreseeable future.

Muto Nobuyoshi raised his head and looked at Nagata and Uemura in front of him in embarrassment: "Nagata-kun, Uemura-kun, you should have read these three reports for help, right?" Do the Military Affairs Bureau and the Ordnance Bureau have any countermeasures to this? ”。

"Your Excellency, General." Nagata Tieshan sighed heavily: "If only the Taiwan Army, the Korean Army and the Fourth Army need materials, they can still deal with it, but they also need a lot of materials for the defense of the Eastern Army and Kyushu Island and Honshu Island. A total of millions of tons of materials are needed, and the Military Affairs Bureau really has no way, and there is no way at all. As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced at Haruhiko Uemura.

Uemura also immediately echoed with a bitter face: "Yes, Your Excellency General, there is no way." The Taiwan Army, the Korean Army, and the Fourth Army alone did not have the 700 shore fire artillery and weapons bureau, and there were not so many cannons of more than 100 mm produced over the years. And the defense of Kyushu and Honshu also requires at least 500 shore defense guns...... How could the Arms Bureau come up with it? In addition, the Kwantung Army, the Taiwan Army, the Korean Army, and the Fourth Army all demanded that they have a stockpile of ammunition that can last a year of combat, which ...... This is too much, and the Arms Bureau simply doesn't have that many bullets. ”

"What then?" Of course, Muto Nobuyoshi also knows his family background, and the two people in front of him really can't conjure up weapons and equipment.

"I can only choose to focus on defense." Nagata Tetsuyama said, "The materials possessed by the empire now are no longer enough to maintain the defense of the five battlefields of Manchuria, the Korean Peninsula, the Ryukyu Islands, Jeju Island, and the Japanese archipelago. It is better to concentrate forces and defend the foundation of the empire than to defend it everywhere and lack it everywhere. ”

"Abandonment of Manchuria? But giving up Manchuria is tantamount to giving up hope of recovering Taiwan," Muto Nobuyoshi was a little surprised, staring coldly at Nagata Tieshan.

"Instead of abandoning Manchuria, we should focus on the defense of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, Kyushu Island, and the Ryukyu Islands in order to defend Honshu Island and the safety of His Majesty the Emperor, and the Imperial Army must not put the Japanese archipelago and His Majesty the Emperor under the threat of Zhikou (referring to the ** squadron)." Nagata Tetsuyama's tone was low, and he didn't seem to see Muto's gaze at all.

The room fell silent, and after a long time, Muto Nobuyoshi sighed: "I understand what you mean, we are not giving up Manchuria...... Rather, it is to focus on protecting His Majesty the Emperor, who is always the first priority. ”

Of course, Muto Nobuyoshi knew that there was not much hope for this war at the moment, but because of the belligerent atmosphere at home and within the Japanese army, he did not dare to rashly put forward a proposal to end the war and admit defeat. But at this moment, he saw a curved path from Nagata to withdraw his troops.

"However, it is not enough to allocate the material share of the Kwantung Army to the Korean and Ryukyu sides." Muto Nobuyoshi shook his head slightly: "If you want to hold the Ryukyu Islands, Jeju Island, and the Korean Peninsula, you must use elite divisions, and you can't rely on those hastily formed third-rate divisions." It is better to transfer 20 divisions and regiments under the Kwantung Army, and at the same time appropriately shrink the front in Manchuria, abandon Shenyang, Changchun, Jilin (Jilin City) and other places, and withdraw troops to the east of the Liao River...... In addition, it is necessary to start withdrawing expatriates from Kwantung Prefecture, and in case the war situation is unfavorable, the Kwantung Army will abandon the Liaodong Peninsula and retreat to the south bank of the Yalu River to merge with the Korean army, and must defend Korea to the death. ”

Seeing that Muto Nobuyoshi was finally relieved, Nagata Tetsuyama sighed softly, the Chief of the Army General Staff Shirakawa Yoshinori and the Commander of the Kwantung Army, Takashi Hishigari, had also been persuaded by Nagata Tetsuyama to agree to transfer the main force of the Kwantung Army to a "more important" battlefield, and now with the support of the Minister of War Muto Nobuyoshi, plus Prime Minister Ugaki Kazunari, who had long colluded with him, this war should end soon.

……

"Fuwen, this time we can cripple the Japanese criminals." Chiang Kai-shek's face was full of red light, and he announced the good news to Luo Yaoguo, who had come to inspect the Northeast Theater. He said with a smile: "The Japanese invaders suffered extremely heavy losses in the Second Battle of Western Liaoning, more than 12 divisions were severely damaged by our Northeast Theater, and the loss of troops is estimated to be more than 150,000 people, which is really the greatest victory since the beginning of the war, and we have also recovered Jinzhou and the entire mountainous area of western Liaoning, and the remnants of the Japanese army have now retreated to Shenyang and the east bank of the Liaohe River. ”

Luo Yaoguo also smiled and nodded: "It seems that the Japanese can't fight anymore, they are not only encountering huge difficulties in Manchuria now, but also have to divide their troops to defend Korea, Jeju Island, Ryukyu Islands and Kyushu, it is estimated that Shenyang, Changchun, Jilin and other places will not be abandoned in a long time." Speaking of this, his face was a little solemn again: "The Japanese are gone, we Chinese don't know if we can get along peacefully, Jiegong, have there been any moves on the Chinese side during this time?" ”。

"Of course they're ready to grab territory." Chiang Kai-shek seems to be in a really good mood, and he is not gnashing his teeth when it comes to GCD. This "Third Battle of Liaoning" made him, a member of the Military Committee, "exposed" his face and shattered the rumors that Chairman Chiang would not be able to fight.

"As soon as Zhang Xueliang went back, the Chinese G restored its control of the three Red Army regiments, and it was much more relaxed in the use of troops." Chiang Kai-shek sighed softly: "Now that they have formed a Northeast Front Army, with Zhu D as the commander-in-chief and Zhou Enlai as the political commissar in person, they have sent 200,000 troops to attack in the direction of Jilin Province through the Horqin grassland, and it is estimated that it will not be long before Changchun and Jilin should be recovered." ”

Saying that, Chiang Kai-shek walked to the map table, picked up the baton and pointed at the eastern part of Heilongjiang and Jilin Province on the map: "After taking the eastern part of Heilongjiang and Jilin Province, the territory of GCD has become a long strip, from Fuyuan County, the easternmost part of Heilongjiang in the east, to the Black Gobi in the west of Suiyuan, which is about 3,000 kilometers long from east to west, but only a few hundred kilometers wide from north to south, and the narrowest point is the western part of Rehe Province, but it is only about 300 kilometers wide. Brother Fuwen, do you have any thoughts on such a long strip that can't be taken care of from end to end? ”。

613 Defend the Emperor!? Six Curves to Save the Country

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