Tokyo, Japan, Prime Minister's Office. Prime Minister Masashi Terauchi once again convened an emergency cabinet meeting. There was only one topic on the agenda of the meeting, and that was the sudden landing of Chinese* troops in Ise Bay, what would happen to Japan, and what they should do.

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, let me tell you about the situation." Prime Minister Masatsuki Terauchi said.

"Yes, Your Excellency Prime Minister." The Chief of Staff of the Japanese Army, Senior General Kawai Sho, nodded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the latest information we have just received appears that Tokoname City in Ise Bay has been attacked by the Shina army. At present, the city of Tokoname has fallen, and the 50th Wing of the Imperial Army, which is stationed there, has suffered heavy losses. Although, it is not yet possible to judge how many troops the Shina army is ready to commit to attacking Isewan. However, it is certain that they will throw heavy troops for this. General Kawai said.

"Ise Bay? Nagoya? If Nagoya also falls into the hands of the Shina army, then the problem will be serious. Osaka Bay in the south, and indeed the entire Seto Inland Sea industrial belt, will fall under the control of the Chinese military. At that time, the island of Honshu will be cut into two sections, which is not good news for us! Prime Minister Masashi Terauchi frowned tightly.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, I am afraid that the problems we face are not limited to this. After the Chinese captured Nagoya, they could attack our important industrial areas to the south. If the Shina then send troops to land on the southern part of the island of Honshu and attack from both sides, then I am afraid that we will soon lose the southern part of the island. This is undoubtedly a great blow to Japan. Without industrial support in the southern part of the island, and without support from Britain, France, and the United States, we will be in a very difficult position. I'm afraid, it won't last long at all. War Minister Shinroku Ishimoto also said.

Suddenly, the faces of the ministers of the Japanese Cabinet changed drastically. They seem to have seen that Japan is about to reach the point of exhaustion.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, you must find a way to keep the Nagoya line and drive the people of China into the sea." Foreign Minister Yasuya Uchida said.

"Yes! The army has grown to 40 divisions and regiments, and there are millions of troops, can't we still defeat the Chinese people? In the midst of the war on home. We deserve to have an absolute advantage. Tibetan Prime Minister Tatsuo Yamamoto also said.

"Ishimoto-kun, Kawai-kun, do you have any countermeasures?" Prime Minister Masatsuki Terauchi asked.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, the General Staff Headquarters has sent a telegram to the 3rd Army of the Kyushu Island Army stationed in Nagoya to attack Tokoname City with all its strength and recapture Tokoname City. At the same time, we will immediately draw our troops and rush to the shores of Isewan to fight a big battle with the people of Isewan. Defeat them. However, due to the impact of the Great Kanto Earthquake, the troops in the northern part of the island cannot be mobilized, and in the southern part of the island, there are only 12 divisions in total, and the strength is slightly insufficient. We hope that the army will be further expanded. Chief of Staff General Kawai said.

"And to expand the army? We don't have the money to expand the army. "Tibetan Prime Minister Tatsuo Yamamoto's face is very ugly.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Your Excellency the Prime Minister. So far. Japan has reached the last moment of life and death, and we can be lucky enough for all Japanese men to join the army unconditionally. To protect the family and defend the country, they can be given only a small amount of allowance, or even no allowance at all. In this way, we will be able to expand the army without much money. The sixth general of Shimoto said.

"What about weapons and equipment? The expansion of the army requires a large amount of weapons and equipment. The blockade of our coastline by the people of China has become tighter and tighter. Support from the United Kingdom and the United States. It's hard to get to Japan anymore. In such a situation, what do we use to arm the army? Foreign Minister Yasuya Uchida asked. Obviously, Japan seems to be on the verge of exhaustion.

"Even without the British, French, and American weapons and equipment to support us, we would be able to expand our army. Before the troops change their outfits. We have mothballed a large amount of old weapons and equipment. Even, including equipment used during the Sino-Japanese War. If all of them are activated, there will be no problem in arming forty divisions. Of course, we still have a big gap in heavy weapons such as artillery. However, there is no way around it. Even if we don't have enough artillery and other heavy weapons, we have to fight the Chinese people. Ishimoto Shinsa will continue.

"Forty divisions to be expanded?" The Japanese cabinet ministers seemed to be shocked by the War Ministry's magnanimity. After all, there are now forty divisions, and if another forty divisions are expanded, it will be a total of eighty divisions. When all you count it, that's two million troops. This is definitely the time when the Japanese Army is the largest ever. For Japan, which has a total population of just over 50 million, this can definitely be regarded as a reckless use of military force. Of course, Japan has long shouted the slogan that all the people are soldiers and all the people are broken. It is not surprising that even ordinary people are asked to fight the Chinese* army, armed to the teeth, when the country falls, and to expand the army a little more.

"Yes, the offensive of the Chinese army is getting faster and faster, and they will not give us time to prepare for the Motherland. Therefore, if we want to defeat the attack of the Chinese people, we must have an adequate army. It is imperative to expand the number of divisions and regiments by 40 more divisions. General Kawai Cao also said.

Prime Minister Terauchi Masashi hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, let's expand the forty divisions again." In any case, as long as the Shina people are defeated and Japan is kept, even if it is a big price, it is acceptable. ”

"Hi, Your Excellency Prime Minister." Masaki Terauchi relented, which made the two of them, Shimoto Shinroku, and Kawai Cao, relieved. After all, in the face of a large-scale invasion by the Chinese* army, the Japanese Army was undoubtedly under great pressure. The onslaught of the Chinese* army made it a little difficult for them to deal with. If they could prepare more troops, their chances of victory would undoubtedly be much greater.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, after the Great Kanto Earthquake, there were many homeless people throughout the Kanto Plain. If the army were to expand its ranks, it might be possible to give preference to these people. More than a million homeless people, it is no problem to choose one of them in hardcover and arm ten divisions and regiments. In this way, it will not only solve the needs of the army, but also further stabilize society. Home Minister Hara Kei suggested. Because of the destruction of their homes and the lack of food, those Japanese had to start fighting for their survival, and violent incidents often occurred, which greatly affected the security of the Kanto region. If we can send the best of these displaced people to the army, we can undoubtedly solve this problem, which is a great thing to kill two birds with one stone.

"That's a good idea. Once the army is expanded, recruit troops from the Kanto Plain as much as possible. Masaki Terauchi said.

"Hi, Your Excellency Prime Minister." The six generals of Shimoto Shin and the two of them nodded, and they naturally didn't say anything more on this small issue.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, we may be able to ask His Majesty the Emperor or His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to issue an edict calling on more Japanese to join the army, and in this case, a large number of people with lofty ideals will voluntarily sign up for the army. When the time comes, we will soon be able to complete the recruitment of new troops and move into training. Shimoto suggested the sixth general.

"Well, I'll communicate with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. What the army has to do now is how to resist the attack of the Shina people in Ise Bay and defeat them, and it is absolutely impossible to allow them to gain a foothold there. Masaki Terauchi reminded.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, rest assured, we will definitely hold Ise Bay and inflict heavy losses on the people of China there." Senior General Kawai said.

Of course, it is already unrealistic to want to drive the Chinese* army into the sea. The Chinese Navy has completely dominated the sea, and their naval guns can provide fire support for the army. The Japanese Army simply cannot be compared with it. A single heavy artillery brigade has only 108 155-mm heavy howitzers, while a light cruiser of the Imperial Navy has 9 155-mm naval guns. On heavy cruisers and battleships, there were more 155-mm naval guns, as well as larger naval guns than the 155-mm caliber. It can be said that the heavy artillery units of the Japanese Army had no power to fight back at all in the face of the naval guns of the Imperial Navy.

The number of artillery pieces equipped by the Japanese army was relatively scarce. If it weren't for the fact that Britain, France, and the United States had provided Japan with a large amount of weapons and equipment before the outbreak of the war, their combat power would have been a little rubbish. This is mainly due to the fact that Japan has concentrated its efforts on developing its navy and has tilted a large amount of resources to the development of its navy, thus restricting the development of its army. As a result, the Japanese Navy was completely defeated by the Chinese Navy, making Japan's huge investment equivalent to a waste. If it weren't for the emergency assistance of Britain, France, and the United States, Japan might not have been able to survive a long time ago.

After the meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Masahiro Terauchi went to Akasaka to meet with Crown Prince Hirohito. Masaki Terauchi reported to Crown Prince Hirohito the news of the landing of Chinese* troops in Ise Bay, which made Crown Prince Hirohito very nervous. Ise Bay is not very far from Tokyo Bay. Isn't the fact that the Chinese* troops were able to land in Ise Bay show that they were also able to land in Tokyo Bay?

Crown Prince Hirohito demanded that the Japanese Army find a way to drive the Chinese Army into the sea and hold Ise Bay no matter what. As for the Japanese Army's request to expand the number of divisions by 40 again, Crown Prince Hirohito agreed without even thinking about it. After all, he also believes that if there are more troops, then there will undoubtedly be a greater chance of winning the Chinese* army, and Japan will be safer. (To be continued.) )

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