Just as Zhang Zhaoxian thought, once the request to send military observers was made, Japan began to push back and forth. This is because sending military observers is not a mandatory rule of the League of Nations, but an unwritten practice that exists between the alliance countries. For example, the two countries formed a
Whether an agreement or an alliance is formed depends on the relationship, whether they can be sent or not.
The Japanese side seized on this reason and argued that although the two countries had signed a secret treaty, it was not a formal and open alliance after all, and it was not convenient for them to send military observers to each other. If they sent observers to each other, it would be equivalent to exposing the secret cooperative relationship between the two parties to the outside world.
Xiang Xiaoqiang directly asked the military attache stationed in Japan to tell the Japanese Military Command that in this case, it would be easy to handle. If we send, and you don't send, wouldn't it be called "mutual sending"?
At first glance, this sounds like gangster language, but Xiang Xiaoqiang also said something else. He said to the military attaché stationed in Japan:
"Just tell the Japanese Military Command that this is to show the outside world that this is not a mutual diplomatic action between the two countries, but just a unilateral act of our country. Because in theory, the entire North China is the territory of the Ming Dynasty.
The Japanese army is now fighting on the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Even according to the secret agreement between the two countries, Fengtian falls within the scope of the Ming Dynasty.
"In any case, the Japanese army is fighting on the territory of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty has the absolute right to send people to watch, and they can watch wherever they like. If you want to take into account the international view, then it is not called"
"Observer", just call it "inspector". We inspectors, on behalf of the Ming government, go to inspect our own territory. No matter you, Japan, or the international community, you can't say anything."
The military attache stationed in Japan thought about it. Although such rhetoric was unkind, at least there was nothing wrong with it from a legal perspective.
…
On the morning of the 29th, the Ming fleet and landing fleet, totaling more than fifty ships, were anchored off the coast of Jiaozhou Bay. The muzzles of two battleships, one aircraft carrier, four cruisers, and eighteen destroyers were all pointed at the Qingdao Fort. The aircraft carrier
I was also driving against the wind in the open sea and was releasing bombers. In the Qingdao military port, I could clearly see the formation of dive bombers in the sky in the distance.
The Ming fleet sent a signal, and the county ordered the Qing army, Qingdao army and navy to surrender within half an hour, otherwise they would launch an artillery bombardment and launch a strong attack. The Qing fort defenders did not respond to the signal, but the forts on the mountain kept firing, one after another in front of the Ming fleet.
The ground raised a column of water.
At present, the main force of the Beiqing Navy has seven cruisers, five heavy cruisers and two light cruisers. They were all eliminated by Japan and sold to it at a high price. Although they are older, Nanming really wants to capture these cruisers.
Once you get it and modify it, you can make your fleet much bigger without spending any money.
There are now two "Kangxi-class" heavy cruisers in Qingdao Port, namely the "Kangxi" and the "Yongzheng". The Ming fleet was ordered not to shell the harbor as long as the two heavy cruisers in the harbor did not come out to fight, for fear of destroying the harbor.
Two heavy cruisers were damaged, and we were afraid that the port facilities would be damaged and the landing would be affected.
Time passed by, and the fort did not respond to the signal. It just fired the shells in vain, regardless of the fact that it was impossible to hit the opponent at this distance. The Ming army also knew that the Qing garrison was probably hesitating now, just in the
He dared not stop the bombardment until he made a decision. Only in this way could he show his determination to "resist to the end" to the court.
The half-hour deadline came. The Ming fleet kept true to its word and began to fire volleys. The large and small naval guns of the Ming army roared together, and smoke suddenly billowed on the sea. Black smoke wrapped in fireballs erupted from the barrels, and then spread away. Far away.
The mountain at the entrance of Jiaozhou Bay suddenly fell into a state of landslides. Large rocks broke off and rolled into the sea with soil and trees, just like a volcanic eruption.
Although the Ming fleet also knew that this might not necessarily blow up the Qing forts, they still poured shells onto the mountain. If the forts were guarded by Japanese troops, this would definitely not work. But now the forts are guarded by Qing troops.
Maybe it would be very effective. Because experience shows that the software (spirit, fighting will) of the Qing army always collapses before the hardware (weapons, fortifications).
Sure enough, after an hour of artillery preparations, the fleet commander had just ordered a ceasefire. As soon as the smoke from the mountain dissipated, he saw a bright spot flashing one after another in the shooting window of the huge cement fortification on the mountain.
The fleet commander held the telescope, silently read the flash signals in the distance, and smiled.
The Qing army was willing to surrender.
…
A Ming army cruiser sailed into Jiaozhou Bay, followed by a troop transport ship. The cruiser's muzzle pointed at the military port and escorted the troop transport ship into the harbor.
In the Qingdao military port, two Qing heavy cruisers were parked intact. Also parked in the port were six destroyers, ten torpedo boats, and a dozen other auxiliary ships. On the dock, Qing navy and infantrymen
, the workers were already crowded, and everyone craned their necks to look at the cruiser outside the harbor and the legendary Ming Dynasty Navy.
The Ming army's troop transport ship approached the pier. Before the boat could be put down, the Qing army's pilot on the shore had already crowded onto the slipway, shouting and gesturing, telling them to dock directly and drop the cable.
The situation was smoother than expected. The Ming army troop transport simply leaned directly on the dock and dropped the cable. The Qing army sailors below caught the cable and tied it to the bitt. A regiment of Ming army marines disembarked directly from the ship and swarmed aboard.
After arriving at the pier, the Qing army sailors on both sides gave way to both sides, looking excitedly and in awe at the well-dressed Ming army marines in the middle.
Ten minutes later, the Ming army completely controlled the entire Qingdao Port. Then, all other troop transports, transport ships, and auxiliary ships filed into Jiaozhou Bay. The Ming army landed one regiment after another, and then headed toward Qingdao.
Drive into the city to control the Qingdao headquarters of the Qing army.
The Ming army began to land on a large scale on the Shandong Peninsula.
…
Just when Qingdao Port was busy, just outside Jiaozhou Bay, a Ming army cargo ship did not enter the bay, but quietly dropped anchor and anchored on the sea. After the Ming army was sure that it had completely controlled Qingdao Port,
, the ship put down a small boat to join another destroyer. Ten minutes later, the people in the small boat boarded the destroyer.
Then, the destroyer turned around, puffed out black smoke, and sailed quickly northeast. Its destination was the Changshan Islands off the coast of Liaodong.
The people on the ship will board the Liaodong Peninsula there, and as military observers of the Ming Dynasty, or "inspectors", inspect the real situation on the Liaodong Peninsula and understand everything that happens there.
Of course, this was only a unilateral act by Ming Dynasty. When they set out, they did not get a single word of commitment from Japan. This behavior fully shows that Ming Dynasty is very confident about Japan on this issue. At least Xiang Xiaoqiang is very confident about Japan.
He was very confident and put on a posture of "I want to see it if you let me see it, and I will see it even if you don't let me see it."
News that the Ming Army successfully landed in Qingdao immediately reached the Central Plains Corps Headquarters of the Qing Army in Xuzhou. At this time, the airport on the outskirts of Xuzhou was still under the control of the Qing Army, and the Commander of the Central Plains Corps was still "flying back to Beijing" and "surrendering to the Ming Army"
He was faced with a dilemma. Upon hearing the news, he finally made up his mind and reached an agreement with his colleagues in the headquarters - to surrender immediately.
On the evening of the 29th, the Central Plains Corps headquarters of the Qing army announced that the entire regiment would stop resisting and surrender to the Ming army.
In this way, the Ming army finally controlled the entire south of the Yellow River within January 1937.