Vladivostok, the headquarters of the Kwantung Army.
Since Eastern Siberia and the Far East were brought under its jurisdiction in 1938, the Kwantung Army headquarters was transferred from Shenyang to Vladivostok to strengthen control over tens of millions of square kilometers of newly developed land.
At nine o'clock in the morning, General Umezu Yoshijiro, who was convening a meeting to discuss how to support the North American war, received the news from the front line that "the major airports were attacked by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Air Force and were in danger."
The officer was startled, and he carried him to the rest room in a hurry, and called the doctor.
A few minutes later, under emergency medical treatment, Umezu Meijiro woke up, immediately jumped up from the bed in the conference room rest room, strode to the war room next to the conference room, and got in front of the large map to look at it carefully.
A group of generals gathered around them, and Colonel Nishimura Toshio, the intelligence staff officer of the Kwantung Army, reported in a low voice: "According to the intelligence, our opponent dispatched more than 2,000 fighter planes in one attack. Even if they were facing each other head-on, our aviation fleet may not be as powerful as theirs."
Let alone the opponent, let alone suffer such a despicable and shameless sneak attack! Therefore, we analyze that this is a precursor to the enemy’s intention to seize air supremacy and launch a large-scale attack!”
"Is there any news coming from the border area?" Umezu Yoshijiro turned his head and asked loudly.
Colonel Kajiro Muranaka, the communications staff officer, immediately stepped forward and reported: "The border area is currently being attacked by tens of thousands of artillery pieces from the South China Army. From Lake Baikal in the north to Erenhot in Chahar in the south, all areas have been attacked on a large scale.
The duration and intensity of the shelling are unprecedented! According to common sense, the South China Army is very likely to launch a full-scale attack after the shelling ends!"
Umezu Yoshijiro looked serious, looked back at the map, and asked again: "Is it possible for the Air Force to send reconnaissance planes to the border area to understand the movements of the South China Army?"
The generals looked at each other in confusion, and finally Major General Junkya Ikeda, deputy chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, stood up: "Due to the interruption of communication, further news from major airports has not yet been received. Judging from the last message sent back before the interruption of communication, the prospect is not good."
Optimistic! The opponent seems to be determined to control the air superiority in Manchuria and the Far East, and must have a complete attack plan. The possibility that our air force's fighter planes, especially the reconnaissance planes, can escape the attack and survive is very slim!
"It is estimated that for fear of accidentally injuring the Chinese, the airports in northern China including Tianjin, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Beijing and other places were not attacked. Commander, I have a suggestion. Can we please ask the first flight of the China Expeditionary Force
The army dispatched reconnaissance planes to understand the enemy's situation so that we can understand what is happening on the front line!"
"Can!"
Umezu Yoshijiro waved his hand: "Send troops to China for help immediately! At this time, the garrison in Méng was also attacked. I think Lord Hata Shunroku also wanted to find out what happened!"
Major General Sumikisa Ikeda took the order and left. At this time, a staff officer hurried in with an urgent telegram. Colonel Muranaka Kajiro received the telegram. After reading it, his face changed drastically and he said urgently to Umezu Yoshijiro: "Commander, Kurokawa
, nènjiang, Longmen Town, Hailar, Manzhouli
, towns such as Zhalantun, Aershan and Suolun were all attacked by the Chinese guerrillas roaming the Greater Khingan Mountains! In terms of the scale and intensity of their attacks, it far exceeded the garrison's understanding of the guerrilla armed firepower.
Troops called one after another asking for tactical guidance!”
"Baga!"
Umezu Yoshijiro was furious: "They can't even deal with the Chinese guerrillas. What do they do for food? Have they been at peace for a long time and can't even shoot? I solemnly warned them that they must persist. It is the duty to defend the territory, and the town is from
Whoever loses it will have his belly opened to apologize to His Majesty the Emperor!
"Since the First Front Army was transferred to fight in North America, our Kwantung Army has been seriously insufficient in strength. If we continue to mobilize it indiscriminately, this battle will not need to be fought! Remember: before the opponent makes a move, any of our mistakes or mistakes will be ignored.
Any appropriate response may have disastrous consequences! Do you understand?"
"Hi!"
Kajiro Muraka took the order and left. But the news that followed was not optimistic.
Many places were stunned by the sudden appearance of troops outside the city from the very beginning. The northern and central areas were okay. Due to the restrictions of the mountainous terrain, the opponents were mostly infantry. At most, the legendary aircraft hovering in the air appeared.
Although the development of the war situation was very unfavorable to the Japanese army, it lasted for a period of time.
But the same cannot be said for the grassland areas close to the Mongolian border. Tanks and armored vehicles appeared in Hailar, Manzhouli and other places. The garrison troops could only fight with flesh and blood, resulting in heavy casualties. As a result, the morale of the Japanese army, which was mainly composed of new recruits, dropped rapidly.
, many cities were captured by the enemy not long after. The speed of the disarmament process was jaw-dropping. Even Umezu Yoshijiro had no chance to find the person responsible.
At this time, no matter how slow the reaction was, everyone knew that something was wrong. Can the guerrillas possess such powerful firepower? This must be the regular army of the Anjia Army, otherwise it would be impossible to explain the scene of abandoning armor in front of them.
At ten o'clock in the morning, news came from Beijing.
The reconnaissance planes of the First Air Force that took off from Nanyuan, Tianjin, Baoding, and Datong airports were encircled and suppressed by superior enemy aircraft when they flew into Chahar and Northeast airspace. The enemy fighter jets were extremely fast, generally at 600
km/h, except for a few reconnaissance aircraft that managed to escape the attack by relying on flexible circling and evasion, the rest were "broken to pieces" under the attack of the opponent's fighter planes.
As they encountered more fighter planes as they moved forward, the four surviving reconnaissance planes lost the courage to be aggressive and hurriedly returned. The message that "the sky full of sky has been occupied by opponents" made everyone feel heavy.
At a quarter past ten in the morning, the final mystery was finally revealed.
From Lake Baikal in the north to Chahar and Suiyuan in the south, large-scale mechanized clusters of the Anjia Army were found in the border areas! Thousands of kilometers of front line were covered with an endless sea of tanks. All frontline generals sent "requesting tactical guidance"
"The distress call.
Umezu Yoshijiro's face was pale and his body was shaky. He reluctantly struggled to the conference room, urgently changed the agenda of the meeting, and asked all participating generals to come up with countermeasures to deal with this sudden change.
By 1:30 noon, the meeting still had no results, and the bad news was already coming like snowflakes.
The border lines in most areas have been breached, divisions and regiments have been mixed into brigades, the border guard regiment has been surrounded and annihilated, and the news that cities in the rear have fallen into enemy hands has always filled the conference room with an atmosphere of tension and despair.
.
Later, the latest news from various airports pushed everyone's emotions into the bottomless abyss - the Army and Navy Air Force were all "broken" as expected, and the air force who survived the airport fire by chance
We are witnessing our own
After the tragic incident at the aircraft and the airport, they all tried to commit suicide, but were stopped in time by the search and rescue team sent from the base camp. They will be sent to Lushun Port and return to China on a transport ship to take over the new fighter planes. In a short time, Manchuria and the Far East will be without
Fighter planes assist in the battle.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, heartbreaking news also came from Eastern Siberia - the Kwantung Army took over the fortress complex that the Russians had worked hard to build for decades in the mountains east of Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia, and spent huge amounts of manpower and material resources to reinforce the front line.
, was unexpectedly broken through by An Jiajun, and now Kyaktu, Bo
Border cities such as Ergiya have fallen, Ulan-Uda is being attacked by the superior forces of the Anjia Army, and important cities such as Petrovsk and Chita are also under direct threat. There is already a turmoil along the Siberian Railway. Most areas
All garrison troops called the Kwantung Army headquarters to inquire about the battle situation.
"How many troops did the enemy use? Launching such a large-scale attack regardless of priority on such a vast front, does the enemy want to take down our Kwantung Army in one fell swoop?"
Umezu Yoshijiro's face was full of pain. He pressed the sun xué with the index fingers of his left and right hands, suppressing the huge tearing pain in his head and muttering to himself.
"Commander, now we should decisively send troops to the front line to ensure the safety of Qiqihar, Harbin, Tao'an and other important towns! Once these cities are lost, we will lose control of the North Manchuria Railway, and the enemy can take advantage of the situation and come.
Going south along the railway, it threatens the security of towns such as Changchun, Jilin, Siping, Kaiyuan, etc., and then core industrial areas such as Shenyang will also become the targets of the other parties to covet and attack!"
Omura Takuichi, President of Mantetsu Co., Ltd., said anxiously to Umezu Yoshijiro.
"Sending troops? Now we don't know the reality of the opponent at all. In just half a day, five divisions have lost contact. Even if we send five more divisions, what will happen? The key to the problem now is that we must understand the opponent.
How big the bet must be before we can make targeted arrangements, otherwise it will be making fun of the precious lives of the Empire’s warriors!”
Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Ikeda Junhisa obviously did not agree with Omura Takuichi's idea.
After several consecutive years of conscription, Japan's domestic human resources have been used to the extreme, and young adults between the ages of 16 and 40 have been almost all mobilized. Nowadays, in Japan's domestic factories and enterprises, except for the technical backbone, most of the remaining positions are filled by women.
and young and old, while in Australia and Southeast Asia, factories are full of indigenous people. If the Kwantung Army is completely consumed in Manchuria and the Far East at this time, nearly a million young people will be lost, and Japan's "Holy War" will be inevitable
Go downhill.
"But--"
Omura Takuichi glared at Ikeda Junhisa: "Could it be that Manchuria, which the empire spent a lot of effort to win and build, is just freeing the Chinese people in vain? Now, this is not the time to analyze the pros and cons. The only thing we need is to use our flesh and blood
, to block the Chinese guns, and use our corpses to block the advance of their mechanized army!"
Junhisa Ikeda sneered: "The Art of War by Sun Tzu says, 'Know yourself and the enemy and you will be victorious in a hundred battles.' Now we don't know the details of the opponent at all, and we send troops rashly. Once all the mobile power in our hands is consumed, who will be responsible? Manchuria's interests must be safeguarded."
, but can the lives of our brave warriors who are loyal to His Majesty the Emperor be easily squandered?"
"Enough!"
Umezu Yoshijiro said loudly: "What's the fuss about? Now that the passes in the Greater Khingan Range and Lesser Khingan Range have lost contact, it is no longer possible to defend based on the dangers. No matter how dangerous these passes are, they can be compared to those in Eastern Siberia that the Russians built over decades.
Are the fortresses that have been fortified again stronger?
"The enemy must have terrible weapons and be able to ignore our natural dangers and geographical advantages. I have ordered troops from various places to concentrate in big cities. No matter how powerful the enemy is, they cannot ignore the safety of the Chinese people. This may be our way of surviving in death.
the only one”
Omura Takuichi stood up displeased, waved his fists and shouted loudly: "This is negativity, this is fear of war! I will definitely convey the commander's words to the cabinet and headquarters, and to His Majesty the Emperor."
"There are results"
A loud voice interrupted Omura Takuichi's words. Lieutenant General Yukio Kasahara, Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army, Colonel Yoshitomi Tamura, Chief of the First Section, and Colonel Kajiro Muranaka, Chief of the Intelligence Section, walked into the conference room together.
Lieutenant General Yukio Kasahara, who had spoken earlier, came directly to the map, picked up the baton, and said: "Our intelligence personnel who have been lurking in the border area for many years have received relatively precise news. In Manchuria alone, the enemy's division-level designation is
There are more than 30 of them, more than 20 of which are the serial numbers of the tank divisions and armored divisions under Anjiajun's mysterious tank group army.
"According to the analysis of the news fed back from various places after the war started, mechanized troops were present in all regions. In other words, Anjiajun's powerful tank armies should be participating in the battle on each front. Therefore, it is conservatively estimated that at least the South China Army was dispatched this time.
Forty to fifty group armies, using more than 20,000 fighter planes
"Based on all the circumstances, our Operations Department and Intelligence Department concluded that the main attack direction of the Anjia Army was from north to south, divided into six routes. One route went directly to Ulan-Uda along Lake Baikal, and the second route attacked Chita.
The third route should be aiming at the Middle East Railway, the fourth route is approaching Shenyang through the Sitao Railway, and the fifth route is aiming for Rehe. The sixth route's advance direction is Chahar and Suiyuan. The latter two routes do not rule out the possibility of sending troops to enter the pass.
.
"We have analyzed the intentions of the Anjia Army. They are very likely to use this sudden attack to take over the Far East, Manchuria, and Northern China in one fell swoop, establishing their advantage in competing for the Central Plains and claiming the title of China. Now, the surrounding areas of China have been outflanked by the Anjia Army.
, its leader An Yi has replaced Chiang Zhongzheng and become the most promising warlord to unify the country!
"To realize such a big strategy, it is conservatively estimated that more than six million troops will be used, and all of them are modern troops armed to the teeth. Their mechanization level is as high as that of our ally the German Army.
On the other hand, our Kwantung Army has only over 800,000 troops, most of whom are new recruits. Now in the first wave of contact, there are nearly 100,000 pieces of jade, and it will be very difficult to maintain this battle!"
When the generals heard this, their faces changed drastically.
Omura Takuichi asked in disbelief: "How many troops are there in the An family army? How is it possible to dispatch six million troops at once? Even the Imperial Army only has more than nine million troops now."
Colonel Kajiro Muranaka, the head of the intelligence section, answered Omura Takuichi's question: "So far, Nanhua mainland includes the three southwestern provinces, southern Shaanxi, and western Hunan. It has a population of more than 300 million, and there is no problem in arming 10 million troops.
The next million will defend Annan and Malay, the next million will defend Burma and India, the next million will defend Western Asia, the one million will be in the Urals, and there are still six million troops to spare!
"At this moment, we cannot take any chances. The rapid defeat on the front line has told us that we are facing an enemy that is almost impossible to defeat. The best option is"
Having said this, Kajiro Muranaka sat down in frustration, but everyone knew what he meant.
"The total military strength is nearly ten to one, and the combat strength comparison is estimated to be twenty to one. How to fight this battle?" Umezu Yoshijiro's question made every participating general lower his head.
The first section chief, Colonel Yoshitomi Tamura, suggested: "If it were the mainland, we could naturally use every inch of land to bury the enemy, but this is Manchuria. Although we have continued to immigrate over the years, now we are only
With a population of only more than three million, it is simply not enough to implement the strategy of sharing the same fate with the enemy!
"I think the current situation cannot be solved by our Kwantung Army ourselves. I propose to report the actual situation to the base camp. I think Chief of Staff Ishihara will come up with a practical strategy! Now that the empire has Australia, the lifeline of Manchuria is playing a vital role.
Weakened, at worst we can retreat to the sea and preserve our strength, there is no need to fight such an uncertain battle!"
Everyone was silent for a while. This is not the time to show off as a hero. Doing something you know you can't do is definitely not the behavior of smart people. However, as militarists who have long ended their training in Bushido, it is so embarrassing to have these people take the initiative to admit defeat.
The situation is difficult, so I can only express my position through silence.
"All right!"
Umezu Yoshijiro nodded: "Compile the minutes of today's meeting and send them to the base camp. We only need to do our job well."
Having said this, Umezu Yoshijiro stood up, glanced at all the generals, and loudly ordered: "Now I order: the 122nd Division to garrison Mudanjiang, the 124th Division to garrison Muling, and the 124th Division to garrison Bamenantong.
The 126th Division and the 128th Division stationed in Luozigou rushed to Harbin and guarded the river to prevent the Chinese army from crossing the Song Dynasty.
I will add a line about Huajiang, but I must instruct the frontline commanders not to reveal the truth first, so as not to dampen the combat enthusiasm of the soldiers - if the war situation is unfavorable, they can be allowed to retreat eastward and defend Mudanjiang, Laoye Ridge and other places, and even
Retreating to Suifenhe, as long as the front remains within the war zone, even if it can buy one more day, it will be good;
"Since the area west of the Nèn River is no longer safe to defend, the 149th Division stationed in Qiqihar is ordered to urgently retreat to the southwest. The division will cooperate with the local garrison to guard the Huerda River and Tao'an City to ensure
The security of the first barrier in the Nanman Industrial Zone; the 148th Division stationed in Changchun went north to Gaojiadian south of the Songhua River ferry on the Changbin Railway to build fortifications along the river to prevent the Chinese army from taking advantage of the situation to move south after breaking through Harbin;
"The 125th Division stationed in Tonghua, the 127th Division stationed in Yanji, and the 139th Division stationed in Dunhua quickly transferred west to Siping, Kaiyuan and Tieling, relying on Dahei Mountain and Molihong Mountain.
Build the second and third lines of defense in the long industrial zone! The 136th Division stationed in Shenyang
Regiment, march west to Dahushan in western Liaoning, blocking the road from the open railway (Dahushan to Tongliao) and the Beining Railway to Shenyang. Finally, the 96th Division defended Shenyang, and the 121st Division was in the Navy
With the help of the army, they guarded the Gaizhou River and Monk Maoshan, and guarded the Dalian and Lushun areas in southern Liaoning.
"All operational arrangements are like this. The troops in the Far East will be dispatched separately. Our first task now is to slow down the Anjia Army's march south to the industrial center of the Liaohe Plain and try to gain as much time as possible. Regardless of whether the final order from the base camp is to fight to the end or choose
We must resolutely implement the retreat! Chief of Staff, do you have anything to add?"
Umezu Yoshijiro looked at Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yukio Kasahara.
Lieutenant General Yukio Nagagasahara also stood up: "We must be prepared for the worst. Therefore, when the troops retreat, they should blow up the railways, roads and bridges along the way, and destroy all the boats used to cross the river. At the same time, the industrial areas in the rear should
Stop production immediately and give priority to dismantling all machinery and equipment, especially those in industries that are in short supply domestically and in Australia, and send them to Liaonan for shipment as soon as possible for shipment to the mainland or Australia!
"In addition, we should inform the North Korean army and make all preparations for defense and retreat. I suspect that the Anjia Army's attack does not take the liberation of Manchuria and the Far East as its final goal. North Korea is also within the attack range! Those who
Young Korean adults who have received imperial ideological education since childhood should be immediately sent to the mainland and Australia. They will serve as imperial soldiers to replenish frontline losses in a timely manner!
"Finally, we will arm all three million expatriates in Manchuria. Regardless of whether they evacuate in the end, they will assist us in fighting and contribute everything to the great cause of the empire!"
"Yoshi!"
Umezu Yoshijiro nodded appreciatively to Kasahara Yukio, and then ordered: "I will issue the chief of staff's order together. At this critical moment of life and death for the Kwantung Army, I hope that you will put aside all prejudices, work together, and die exhausted for the empire's hegemony.
already!"
"Hi!"
All the generals stood up together, bowed to Umezu Yoshijiro, and then dispersed.
~~~~~~~~~~
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