The Mitsubishi large passenger plane, built using the core technology of the captured American B29 bomber, flew from Shuri Port in the Ryukyu Islands to the Japanese Islands under the cover of two squadrons of P51 fighter jets.
The new chief of staff of the Japanese army, General Shun Tada, was sitting at the front of the aircraft cabin near the window, his eyes falling on the sea of clouds outside, but he was thinking constantly in his mind.
The Japanese Navy also suffered heavy losses this time. The entire third aircraft carrier task force was lost in the Bohai Sea. Military Commander Nagano Osamu had to end his inspection of shipyards and naval bases in Australia early and took a special plane to return to the island. The two of them were in Shuri, Ryukyu.
Hong Kong's backup airport came across unexpectedly.
After the disaster, Shuri Port was devastated. Both the airport and the port were bombed by mysterious missiles. Both sides of Lake Manko and the Kuniba River were filled with dark ruins and painful wailings. Japanese wooden houses were very weak in the face of such attacks.
, once the fire spreads, it is impossible to stop it.
After inspecting the dilapidated naval and army bases, both of them were very angry, but also full of helplessness. After all, anyone who encounters such missiles launched from thousands of kilometers away will feel a sense of fear and powerlessness from the bottom of their hearts.
Nagano Shushen knew that the emperor, ministers and the headquarters had a clear understanding of the previous mistakes. The rise of Tada Shun, who had always been good friends with Ishihara Wanji, represented another change in the empire's combat direction, so he intended to ride with Tada Shun.
After a plane trip, I learned some inside information and at the same time narrowed the relationship between the two parties, so I let my private plane return to Tokyo empty.
After the plane stabilized, Nagano Shushen took a cup of hot tea, sat down opposite Jun Tada, and asked sincerely: "Tada-san, I wonder what your next policy agenda will be? Continue Tojo-kun's active counterattack
Mainland China’s plan?”
Tada Shun was stunned for a moment, and said to Nagano Shushen without any apology:
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about the situation of telegraph contact with Mr. Ishihara. South American countries such as Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, etc. have surrendered under the pressure of the imperial army. Mr. Ishihara successfully arrived at the port of Iquique in Chile yesterday and is now leading the way.
The troops will take a train to Bolivia. After getting off the train in La Paz, Mr. Ishihara will lead the troops on foot to Santa Cruz. Then they will take a train to the southwest border area of Brazil and join the forward troops who arrived there in advance.
"Ishihara-kun stated in the telegram that he is confident in commanding the South American army, destroying Brazil within three months, and bringing all of South America completely under the control of the empire."
Nagano Shushen signaled his staff to get a map, read the itinerary carefully, and asked with some confusion: "I don't understand why the army doesn't go to Argentina, which is more convenient and faster? If we disembark from the southern port of Argentina, we can definitely go the whole way.
Railways don’t have to be so troublesome at all.”
Tada Jun was deeply saddened by the fact that the empire had so many generals who were ignorant of politics occupying high positions, but his face remained calm:
"Just as Germany needs to retain the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal as windows for external contacts in Europe, the empire also needs to retain a neutral country in South America. At that time, it can conduct foreign trade through such a neutral gateway and obtain valuable intelligence at the same time.
"The current Argentine government is completely leaning towards Germany and our Empire of Japan. Previously, we cleverly used the rebel forces in Colombia to occupy this window in South America, which had a lot to do with Argentina's secret help. Now we naturally want to reciprocate."
Nagano Xiushen nodded repeatedly:
"I see, I understand! Brazil now has a population of only more than 10 million. Its nation is lazy, content with pleasure, and has no discipline at all. With Ishihara-kun's ability, after the Imperial Army enters Brazil, they will definitely
The autumn wind swept away the fallen leaves and conquered this country with more than 8 million square kilometers of land in one fell swoop, creating a new situation for the empire."
Tada Shunchi: "The Northern Army of the South American Army has successfully captured Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana occupied by the forces of the 'Free French Movement'. Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay around Brazil were forced by the empire's powerful navy and army.
After announcing that it will join the Axis Alliance, Brazil also has a railway network that connects the east, west, north and south, making it easier for us to mobilize our troops quickly. In this case, it should only be a matter of time before the Imperial Army takes over Brazil.
"As the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army, my only headache now is the security of the mainland and the territory surrounding the South China coast. The South China Army has long-range attack methods, and the threat to the Empire even exceeds that of the United States. Mr. Ishihara suggested that I hurry up.
To organize immigration to Australia and the Americas, it is enough to maintain a population of 10 million people on an archipelago with poor resources. Ishihara-kun also reminded me that the subjects of the empire must adapt to the process of changing from an island country to a mainland country as soon as possible.
"From last night to now, I have been thinking, should we really give up the place where we grew up easily and go to a brand new continent to take root? No, I think the archipelago must not be lost. This is our defense against the expansion of South China.
The first line of defense is the foundation of the empire's thousand-year reproduction. No matter how powerful the opponent is, the empire's army must rely on the favorable terrain and fight for every inch of territory. The opponent who lands on the ground must shed all his blood. Through such a fierce battle, the emperor can be protected.
The safety of Australia, where Your Majesty is located. As for the cities on the islands, if you can defend them, defend them; if you cannot defend them, all will be relocated. The people will be dispersed to the countryside, and not even a single iron nail will be left for the opponent!"
Nagano Osamu was horrified and moved, and was amazed by Tada Shun's determination. After a while, he suddenly woke up and asked with some surprise: "So, from now on, the Imperial Army will give up counterattack on the mainland and concentrate on managing the island defense line?"
"That's all!"
Tada Shun explained with a wry smile: "It's not that we don't want to fight, it's just that China has too many people. If they insist on occupying the East Asian continent, those already armed Chinese people can use the human sea tactic to fight for our lives! We can't afford it.
Ah! Speaking of which, the Chinese people have the same culture and race as us, and they advocate loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom, trustworthiness, and integrity. The current Anjia army is a first-class strong army. They have no confidence in their imperial army. I heard that the Germans are in the West
The line is blocked...
"It's really frustrating to think about it. What kind of 'great victory' did Hitler report to us? If they really won the war, would they still be lingering on the border for more than a week? The Germans have hoarded nearly 800 troops in West Asia.
Ten thousand troops, what is this concept? It is unbelievable that we are unable to break through the Anjia Army's defense line! I have made up my mind that at least until the situation on the Western Front becomes clear, our army will not make any changes!"
Nagano kept asking persistently: "What about the Indian Ocean? Do we have to give up too?"
Tada Jun asked: "If we don't give up, can we be sure to hold on? From the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, with such a long front, how to distribute our naval power? Also, the Imperial Army is currently deploying troops in America. There is no extra force to hold on to the Indian Ocean defense line.
..."
Seeing Nagano Shushen frowning, Tada Jun patiently explained:
“Due to the loss of India, West Asia, Persia, and the Mesopotamia region, the empire’s core interests in the Indian Ocean region have been lost, including Andaman and Nicobar, Ceylon, Socotra, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, etc.
Islands have wasted too many of the empire's troops. Just replenishing combat supplies has cost the empire a huge amount. Instead of consuming the empire's precious resources in vain, it is better to shrink the defense and concentrate its troops on Lanyin and the Philippines to block the Southern China people.
offensive line!
"Nagano-kun, let me tell you a secret. Since last year, Ishihara-kun has started mobilizing troops. Two of the three divisions of the 65th Army stationed in Ceylon have withdrawn to Sumatra, and the 10th Army stationed in Madagascar has withdrawn to Sumatra.
, the 21st Army, the 22nd Army's seven divisions and 17 ** infantry brigades, nearly half of which have been withdrawn to the Lanyin Islands and the Philippines. The field heavy artillery and ** field heavy artillery deployed in Madagascar
The artillery regiments have been withdrawn to strengthen the defense of Australia's east and west coasts..."
"How can we give up the land that the Imperial Navy worked so hard to conquer?"
Nagano Shushen said with some annoyance: "Tojo-kun once advised His Majesty the Emperor that if the Empire wants to protect the Ranin Islands and Australia, it must defend the Indian Ocean Islands. And immediately after taking office, he ordered to strengthen the defense of the above areas. Our navy
I also received a request to transport troops and supplies. I really didn’t expect that not only did we not strengthen it, but we actively weakened it. This..."
Nagano Shushen shook his head repeatedly: "I think Tojo-kun's words are very reasonable. There is no naval power in the Indian Ocean that can affect the rule of the empire. There is no reason to give up!"
"Don't forget, Nanhua also has a navy!"
Jun Tada smiled faintly: "Nanhua's naval battleships are mainly obtained from the French expeditionary fleet. They even have battlecruisers and old battleships. This incident once shocked the world. It is said that the former Siamese Navy was attacked by this fleet.
The intelligence department worked hard and finally learned a piece of information: Nanhua has set up shipyards in various military ports and manufactured warships on a large scale for six years. Before that, they also had ships in Chongqing and Yichang.
and Nanchang shipbuilding experience, and also obtained the Jiangnan Shipyard after the Songhu Battle. We must be more vigilant about this.
"The reason why I stayed in the Imperial Capital for nearly a week was to discuss the next strategy with His Majesty and the important ministers. Among them, I noticed Nanhua's long-suffering naval power. During the map deduction conducted in the imperial garden, the long Indian Ocean route swallowed up
The empire's large number of transport fleets later became more and more difficult to supply. Several fleets that the empire sent to support were ambushed by the South China Navy. In the end, the Indian Ocean became the empire's Waterloo, leading to the collapse of the overall situation.
"As a qualified general, you must seek defeat before winning, and consider many possibilities. At present, the core interests of the empire are in Australia and America. These two regions are rich in resources and have relatively developed industries. As long as they are developed well, the empire will
The country's national strength is definitely improving by leaps and bounds, and there is no need to spend huge energy on operating additional lines of defense. From now on, the empire will treat Lanyin and the Philippine Islands as the most important theaters, and set up fortresses all along the coastline to resolutely block the South China Army.
This is the most correct strategy!"
Nagano Shushen sighed: "I always feel that it is a pity to give up like this... But since Tada-kun has made up his mind, let's carry it out unswervingly! By the way, what should I do with the Empire's troops stranded in East Africa?
"
Tada Shunchi: "According to the agreement reached between the Empire and Germany, the Ninth Army, which was originally composed of two divisions and three ** infantry brigades from Iraq that entered Syria to join the German army, continued to follow the African army commanded by Marshal Rommel.
Legion operations, striving to completely drive the British and American troops off the mainland as soon as possible...
"When I explained my new concept to His Majesty, I explained that no combat plan is static. If the German army can successfully eliminate the main force of the South China Army on the western front and defeat the British and American coalition forces in Africa, then the defensive pressure in the Indian Ocean region will be
If it is reduced exponentially, we can also obtain supplies from the mainland nearby, so it will be understandable to slightly strengthen the defense of the above areas."
Nagano Shushen finally understood that Tada Shun in front of him was a pragmatist just like Ishihara Kanji. Any decision he made must be based on whether it is worth it, and he would never make a loss-making transaction. For the navy, this is good news, otherwise
They are all as reckless as Tojo Hideki, and no matter how much wealth they have, they are not enough to squander.
"urgent telegram!"
Communications Staff Lieutenant Colonel Masao Kaneoka came to the two of them and handed them a message.
After Tada Shun read it, he handed it to Nagano Shushen. After the latter finished reading, he asked: "What does Nagano-kun think of this matter?"
Nagano Shushen looked surprised. He shook his head repeatedly: "I can't believe that both the Nationalist Government and the Southern China Government rejected the empire's peace proposal... It's okay for Southern China, after all, they have the strength to compete with us.
But why is Chiang Kai-shek so tough? Doesn't he understand that if the empire really wants to launch a war in China at all costs, I dare not say how far it can invade the mainland. But at least the coastal areas will become a scorched earth!"
Tada Shunchi: "This is what I expected. Both South China and the National Government signed the "United Nations Declaration", stating that they will use all their forces and resources to attack the common enemy and will not make separate peace with any enemy. This
It almost eliminated the possibility of peace between China and Japan!
"In addition, the two battles commanded by Tojo-kun have completely disgraced the Imperial Army. It is estimated that Chiang Kai-shek has seen the battle report handed over by the Southern Branch and is very unfavorable about our prospects. That's why he said this
A tough expression... In addition, I heard that Chiang Kai-shek set up an expeditionary force in Yunnan, and I am afraid that he has ulterior malice towards the empire!"
Nagano Xiushen shook his head repeatedly, feeling very aggrieved.
China, which was dominated by the great powers before the war, has now become a key force influencing the international situation. This is probably something that no one expected beforehand, and the person who caused all of this was An Yi, who was like a nightmare to the empire.
While we were talking, the plane had already arrived at Kyushu Island and slowly dropped in altitude.
When passing over the Sasebo Military Port, Tada Shun asked to lower the altitude again and circle the port a few more times in the air so that he could see the situation of the port that was the most severely damaged in this report.
Looking down from the air, the situation at the military port and nearby cities made both Tada Shun and Nagano Shushen take a breath.
Sasebo is the logistics base for Japan's attacks on China and Korea. Since the Sino-Japanese War of 1884-1894, millions of soldiers have boarded ships from here and rushed to the battlefields of China and Southeast Asia. The two navy and army generals are very familiar with this port. The shipyard on the seaside
The docks, street taverns, women waving sun flags, beautiful girls in bright kimonos throwing flowers, and the huge chimneys of the shipyard are unforgettable.
However, now the ports, cities and mountains far and near have almost turned into ashes. Although a week has passed, smoke is still rising in some places. There are basically no docks around the bay, and almost all of them have been burned to the ground.
On the white ground, the base headquarters in the north of the main port has disappeared, the naval club has disappeared, and the barracks have also disappeared. Where the naval flag and Japanese flag were originally hung, even the flagpole has disappeared without a trace, leaving only burnt patches.
Mud black earth.
There were ruins and desolation everywhere. On the once bustling streets, some small black spots were moving. When the plane lowered its altitude to one thousand meters, Tada Shun could clearly see that they were survivors of the fire among the rubble.
Busy and vainly looking for some remaining things, but with such a fire, what else can be preserved?
As the passenger plane raised its altitude and flew towards Tokyo again, Nagano Shushen was so angry that he couldn't help himself: "Sasebo has become like this. Tojo Hideki will never be able to atone for his sins. It's hard to believe that His Majesty just let him go."
He retired and retired, this punishment is too light!"
Tada Shun smiled bitterly in his heart. Tojo Hideki was obviously taking the blame for Hirohito's random decision-making. It's strange that Hirohito was so grateful for his loyalty that he was willing to be severely punished. He smiled bitterly and said to Nagano Shushen: "I heard that Tokyo also suffered a lot of losses.
, not only the port area, but also the Imperial Palace, the Military Headquarters, and the Parliament Building were destroyed by missiles, and the Yasukuni Shrine and surrounding neighborhoods were also burned to the ground. Nagano-kun must be mentally prepared!"
Nagano slumped in his seat and shook his head: "Now I suddenly understand why Tada-kun and Ishihara-kun are bent on shrinking their defenses. Who can defend against such a long-distance attack? If the empire does not decisively relocate its industrial center
If we go to Australia, no one will be able to work with peace of mind in the future, because the threat of death is everywhere... It is so sad that the empire has fallen to this point!"
Tada Jun did not answer, his heart was heavy and he fell into thinking again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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