As the Chinese Army's offensive further intensified, Tokyo's resistance gradually became weaker.
More and more areas were controlled by the Chinese Army, and a large number of Japanese soldiers and civilians who resisted were killed or captured. The Battle of Tokyo gradually came to an end as the end of June approached.
Now, the Chinese are beginning to set their sights on the Japanese Imperial Palace.
Here, Japan's false "Emperor" lives, and here can be seen as the spiritual support of the Japanese. Only by capturing here can the end of the Battle of Tokyo be announced.
However, this is something that does not seem easy. Inside and outside the palace, an entire division, the Japanese First Division, was deployed, as well as a large number of Japanese citizens who spontaneously came to defend the "Emperor".
"We have to rush forward." Rao Guohua muttered helplessly.
"We have to rush." Masahiro Suzuki, chairman of the "Democratic Republic of Japan" who had just arrived in Tokyo, also murmured.
Victory is in sight, and this is what excites Suzuki Masahiro the most. After so many years of struggle, so many years of hard work, now it seems that everything is worth it.
Soon, things will change in Japan...
"Report!" Zhang Lingfu, who went to negotiate with the Japanese, came back: "The Japanese palace guards refuse to surrender!"
"Oh, I see..." Rao Guohua said a faint "Oh" as he had expected it: "Order, all ministries prepare to launch a strong attack in an hour!"
Suzuki Masahiro and Yamamoto Sukeyuki looked at each other excitedly, and the long-awaited moment was about to come. Yamamoto Sukeyuki waved his fist: "General, please allow the Red Army to complete this sacred mission!"
Rao Guohua hesitated for a moment, and then nodded slowly. This is good, at least he can test the strength of the Japanese palace guards first...
On June 27, 1937, the Battle of the Japanese Imperial Palace began!
This is the scene that the Japanese least want to see. In front of the "sacred" Japanese Imperial Palace, a war actually broke out!
The Japanese Imperial Palace is the living place of Japan's pseudo-"Emperor". It was built in 1590 AD by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first general of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This traditional Japanese building covering an area of 23,000 square meters has high inner gates and castles.
There are huge stone foundations that range from one person to tens of meters above the ground. The stones rarely have standard cubes, but the blocks are tightly connected. There is no cement and lime on the inner gate and the castle. The stones were all enshrined by the local "daimyos" of the year.
In the hearts of the Japanese, this is a "sacred and inviolable" place, but it was in this "sacred and inviolable" place that the war finally broke out...
The person directly commanding the battle was Lieutenant General Kawamura Kyohao, commander of the Japanese First Division. He was already prepared to die here.
The "Red Army", the armed force of the "Democratic Republic of Japan", launched the first wave of attacks under the cover of Chinese artillery.
The Japanese regard the imperial palace as "sacred and inviolable", but for the Chinese, there is no such concern at all. They will not consider the history of the imperial palace, let alone who lives in it.
All they want is victory and an early end to the battle. Everything else is secondary to them...
And every time a cannon is fired, the Japanese guarding inside and outside the palace will feel tense. This is a "holy place" with a long history!
With the support of Chinese artillery fire, the Red Army continued to launch attacks again and again. However, due to the resistance of the First Division and the Japanese citizens who organized themselves, the attacks failed again and again.
The Japanese and the Japanese are working hard!
Masahiro Suzuki, who personally came to Tokyo to supervise the war, was furious. The Red Army, for which he had placed high hopes, did not give the chairman face.
Now he must do something to establish his prestige in front of the Japanese. Japan will soon change its dynasty. Only a government with prestige can better rule Japan.
Even more angry than Suzuki Masahiro were Hirohito and Konoe Fumimaro.
How dare Suzuki Masahiro and his Red Army do such a thing!
Don't they know this is the royal palace?
Kawamura Kyōpo walked in in a hurry. Before he could speak, Konoe Fumimaro had already asked: "How is the situation?"
"Report to your majesty, report to the Duke, the enemy's attack is very fierce." Kawamura Kyopo gasped: "The enemy has absolutely superior artillery fire, suppressing us very fiercely, but the soldiers have performed very bravely, and so far they have fought
We have repelled eight enemy charges. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, as long as the First Division is still there, we will never let the enemy advance even one step!"
"Your Excellency, division commander, go and try your best." Hirohito said with his eyes closed.
Kawamura Kyoupo walked out, Hirohito opened his eyes, glanced at Konoe Fumimaro, sighed, but couldn't say anything.
Things have already developed to this point, what else is there to say...
...
The Red Army's ninth attack was repelled again...
Suzuki Masahiro severely reprimanded the former enemy commander-in-chief of the Red Army, Torajiro Kigoshi. What he could not figure out was why he could never take the last step when he saw that victory was within easy reach.
"I have requested the support of two tanks!" Masahiro Suzuki calmed down some of his anger: "Two tanks, attack, attack, bring Hirohito and Konoe Fumimaro to me!"
"Hai!" Torajiro Kigoshi, who also felt the humiliation deeply, responded loudly.
A new attack begins.
The two Chinese tanks have become the weapons that the Red Army relies on most. What they have to do now is how to create a gap in the tight defense line outside the Japanese Imperial Palace as soon as possible!
The 1st Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division, which defended the outermost perimeter, used all means to block the tank's advance.
Grenades, grenades, Molotov cocktails... They used almost every means at their disposal. The first tank was destroyed, and the tank soldiers quickly got out of the tank, and under the crazy cover of the light and heavy machine guns behind them, they
Fortunately, I didn't become a prisoner.
"***, the Japanese are crazy." The commander who returned to his position cursed angrily: "They are just rushing towards the tanks desperately, and so are those damn ordinary people!"
Zhang Lingfu smiled: "If Japanese tanks appeared in our capital, we would still fight like this..."
The attack continued, and the remaining tank successfully destroyed a Japanese machine gun position. The Red Army, lacking the threat of machine guns, surged forward, rushed into the position, and started a mad battle against their compatriots.
Unbridled massacre!
When the Japanese killed Japanese, they were much more brutal from a distance.
They stabbed their compatriots' bodies with bayonets desperately, then chopped off their heads and waved them high, as if to mentally frighten the rest of the enemies.
A burst of machine gun bullets came and knocked down several Red Army soldiers. As a result, all the Red Army soldiers who rushed to the position were angered at this moment.
The tank's muzzle was aimed there, and then with a "boom", amidst the cheers of the Red Army, another machine gun position went silent...
The battle continues.
Although the advancement speed is not very fast, the Red Army is still working hard to advance inch by inch. At this point in the battle, there is no longer much suspense about the outcome. The key is when and in what form victory will be achieved.
.
After a whole day of fierce fighting, the First Infantry Regiment of the Japanese First Division suffered almost all casualties. They still could not stop the Red Army's attack, and the positions they defended completely fell into the hands of the enemy.
"Nine hundred and twenty casualties..."
Just as Torajiro Kigoshi spoke, he was interrupted impatiently by Masahiro Suzuki: "What I want is not casualties. Don't tell me how many people have died. What I want is victory, victory!"
"Hai!" Torajiro Kigoshi bowed his head.
The pessimistic atmosphere in the palace is getting stronger and stronger!
The 1st Infantry Regiment has tried its best, but they still cannot resist the enemy's attack. Maybe tomorrow, the enemy will appear in the palace.
What they are doing now is just fulfilling the last duty of soldiers.
"Your Majesty, it's time to encourage the soldiers and civilians who are still fighting." Konoe Fumimaro said.
Hirohito stood up numbly. At this time, he was like a person who had lost his soul. Everything was so mechanical.
He walked out and saw that the palace was full of wounded people, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood, which made people feel stomach cramps.
I never thought that war would be so terrible, and I never thought that so many people would die.
"Your Majesty!" Seeing the "Emperor" coming out, the Japanese shouted loudly.
Hirohito almost shed tears. Now, is this the only strength he can rely on? How sad everything is, how sad everything is.
"Work hard, fight hard..." It took a long time for Hirohito to say this.
"Fight to the end for Your Majesty!" the Japanese said in unison.
"My emperor is prosperous for thousands of generations; the gravel is rocky and covered with moss; there is long-term peace and stability, the country is prosperous and the people are peaceful..." I don't know who sang Japan's national anthem "Ki no Dai".
This attracted a lot of support and singing, and some people couldn't help but burst into tears.
"My emperor is prosperous for thousands of generations; the gravel is rocky and covered with moss; there is long-term peace and stability, the country is prosperous and the people are peaceful..." Hirohito and Konoe Fumimaro were also singing there, and they couldn't help but shed tears.
come out.
It's over, everything should be over now. Japan's destruction is already in sight.
There is no room for salvation, no one can save Japan anymore, this is their destined fate!