In addition to senior staff officers of the Japanese Kwantung Army, Colonel Seishiro Itagaki, one of the planners of the September 18th Incident, and the "Eleven Club" of Emperor Hirohito's civilian partisans in Tokyo, including Koichi Kido and Konoe
Wen Mao, Makino Xiansheng and other senior military officers also participated in the operational planning of the "December 28th Incident".
However, it will still be a few months before the first Battle of Songhu, also known as the "December 128 Incident", breaks out.
This time, the "December 28th Incident" was also secretly plotted and planned by the same group of high-ranking Japanese military officials behind the scenes.
Kwantung Army Headquarters,
Kwantung Army staff officers Ishihara Kanji, Major General Itagaki Seishiro, Chief of Staff Major General Mitsuharu Miyake, and Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Okamura Neji, as well as Commander Lieutenant General Shigeru Honjo and other senior Japanese military officials also started a secret meeting.
"The Northeast already belongs to our imperial army, but there are still many sporadic resistance forces here, and they have not been completely calmed down yet!"
"So we must stabilize the situation here as soon as possible as a food and resource development base for our empire!"
"But recently, foreigners' opinions and eyes are paying more attention to our every move here!"
"So Staff Officer Ishihara Kanji and Major General Itagaki Seishiro suggested to me to launch the Songhu Battle to distract the attention and focus of all foreign powers!"
"So in this meeting, we are here to discuss this combat plan and whether to fully implement it!"
"I want to know your personal opinions!"
"Should I launch the Songhu Operation Plan? If so, when should I launch it and how should I launch it?"
"If not, then how to deal with the concerns and warnings of foreign powers!"
After all the senior Japanese officers sat down in the conference room of the headquarters,
The commander, Lieutenant General Shigeru Honjo, looked at everyone with sharp eyes and spoke in a serious tone.
"Hey! I support launching the Songhu Battle to divert the attention of all foreign powers, in case these foreign powers have an excuse to intervene in our war in the Northeast occupied area!"
"The natural resources here are very important to our imperial army and even the mainland!"
"So we will never allow any powerful country to snatch the resources here from our hands!"
As soon as Commander Lieutenant General Honjo Shige finished speaking, Major General Itagaki Seishiro took the lead and couldn't wait to express his opinions, supporting the battle plan of invading Songhu proposed by himself and his staff officer Ishihara Kanji.
"I also support the suggestion of Major General Seishiro Itagaki! However, we have to carefully plan all the strategic and tactical arrangements for launching the Songhu Battle. It is best to inflict heavy damage on those Chinese troops and attract the attention of all foreign powers, so that
They don’t have the energy or mind to continue paying attention to the war situation here in the Northeast!”
Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Okamura Neiji also nodded in agreement and supported.
"I also support it! Your Excellency, Commander!"
Staff officer Ishihara Wanji also nodded seriously and agreed,
As the initiator, he certainly had no reason to disagree with his and Major General Itagaki Seishiro's plan to plot the Songhu war.
After seeing that almost everyone agreed to this Songhu battle plan,
The commander, Lieutenant General Honjo Shigeru, and the chief of staff, Major General Miyake Mitsuharu, looked at each other, hoping to see the other's opinions in their own eyes.
But soon, their eyes confirmed that they all agreed to this proposal for the Songhu Battle.
"Okay! I have to report this matter to His Majesty and see what his opinion is!"
"You must know that we have just occupied the Northeast, and it has not been more than two months. If we launch a new war now without His Majesty's consent, it will be difficult to say!"
"It may not matter if we win, but if the war doesn't go so smoothly, then who will answer to His Majesty and the mainland?"
After making a decision,
The commander, Lieutenant General Honjo Shige, did not immediately agree, but responded very cautiously.
Hearing this, all the high-ranking Japs present were seasoned, so they could understand the meaning of Commander Lieutenant General Honjo Shige's words.
"Hai!"
"Everything must be obeyed by the Commander!"
.......
Therefore, all the high-ranking Japanese officers nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, the commander, Lieutenant General Honjo Shige, also nodded and waved for them to leave.
Except for the chief of staff, Major General Mitsuharu Miyake, who stayed for a brief discussion, all other senior Japanese officers quickly left the headquarters.
"What do you think? Do you think His Majesty will agree to our sending troops to attack the China Army in Songhu this time?"
After leaving the Kwantung Army headquarters,
Major General Itagaki Seishiro said to Chief of Staff Ishihara Kanji and Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Okamura Neji.
"We have to wait for His Majesty's reply!"
"It's hard to guess His Majesty's thoughts!"
"At least I can't guess it!"
"So we just have to wait and let nature take its course!"
Staff officer Ishihara Wanji shook his head and responded.
"Ishihara-kun is right, let's wait for your Majesty's reply!"
"In addition, we cannot be idle during this period of time. We have just occupied the Northeast, and there are still many Chinese forces that need to be eliminated!"
"We must fully control the entire Northeast as soon as possible. For the future prosperity of our empire and the supply of local resources, this is something we must do as soon as possible!"
As for Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Okamura Neiji, he added:
Without looking back, he got into his car and went back to his workplace under the protection of his own guards.
In response, Major General Itagaki Seishiro and Staff Officer Ishihara Wanji looked at each other.
Then, without saying anything else, they each got into their own cars and left.
And that evening, after careful consideration,
The commander, Lieutenant General Shigeru Honjo, also sent a telegram to His Majesty the Emperor in the mainland, telling them about the combat proposals of this meeting and waiting for His Majesty's reply.
And that evening, the commander, Lieutenant General Shigeru Honjo, also sent an encrypted emergency telegram to Major Tanaka Takayoshi, the auxiliary army attaché of the Japanese Embassy in Songhu.
The content of the telegram was: "The Northeast Incident has developed as originally expected... Please take advantage of the current tense situation between the Empire and the Central Army of China to prepare for the Songhu Operation Incident, so that the powers of various countries will focus on the Northeast and Manchuria.
, turn to Songhu..."
When Army Auxiliary Attaché Major Tanaka Takayoshi received a suddenly encrypted urgent message from Commander Lieutenant General Shigeki Honjo,
He also immediately burned the telegram and quickly carried out the order of the commander, Lieutenant General Honjo Shige.
That night, Yoshiko Kawashima, a famous female spy of the Japanese army, was called over to discuss the collection of intelligence and how to fan the flames in Songhu to trigger the war once the war was ready.