In 1878, the Japanese Army followed the German army system and established a staff headquarters in order to achieve the separation of military administration and military orders.
Since then, all military orders of the Japanese Army have been issued by the General Staff Headquarters, which means that any action of the Army must be ordered by the General Staff Headquarters before it can be executed.
The biggest problem after the establishment of the General Staff Headquarters was the lack of talent. At that time, Japan did not have any senior military academies. Outstanding students after graduating from the non-commissioned officer school were selected to study abroad, and these international students did not necessarily study staff disciplines overseas. Therefore, after the establishment of the General Staff Headquarters, there was a constant supply of personnel.
It's a big problem.
Therefore, in 1882, the General Staff Headquarters decided to establish an Army University to train staff officers.
The admission of students to Army University is based on strict examinations. The review of registration qualifications is extremely strict.
The examination is divided into two times: preliminary examination and re-examination, and the admission rate is only 10%.
After the preliminary examination is a technical examination, the instructors’ meeting will decide on the shortlisted students.
Re-examination means that after shortlisted students take the exam again, instructors will interview and determine the admission list.
Mainland China's re-examination examination subjects are more complex.
It is divided into technical departments (artillery department's map countermeasures, visual calculation and surveying, etc.).
The longest examination time for general subjects (composition, arithmetic, etc.) is 5 hours for the engineer's map strategy.
Generally speaking, preparation for the Mainland University exam needs to be started three years in advance. If you are unable to enroll the first time you register, there is basically no hope for the second and third time you register.
The first thing to consider about the benefits of graduating from a mainland university is the Japanese Army’s year-off system.
In peacetime, from second lieutenant to lieutenant, from lieutenant to captain, they must perform at least 2 years of service, and from captain to major, they must perform at least 4 years of service.
The period of suspension for assistant officers is also 2-4 years apart.
On the other hand, students in Lu University are admitted as second lieutenants and graduate as captains after three years of study. During this period, they are promoted almost every year.
Another advantage for students from mainland China is that they must upgrade after the minimum suspension year. That is, a student from mainland China cannot run away as a colonel within 10 years after graduation. Those who have not graduated from mainland China will have to stay at least about 5 more years.
And being promoted to a general officer is a big hurdle. Even if the actual performance is the same, Lu Dasheng will be promoted to a general officer first. In fact, in the Japanese Army, many times, as long as Lu Dasheng does not make mistakes and retires early, he cannot escape the rank of general.
It is very difficult for ordinary officers to be promoted to general officers.
Therefore, the Japanese mainland has become a veritable cradle of generals in the Japanese army. It has always been the yearning of young Japanese officers, and the competition for admission is very fierce.
In modern times, basically all the division commanders and most of the brigade commanders of the Japanese Jia Zhong Division were graduates or short-term trainees from the Japanese mainland.
After Major Kyono Shunta graduated from mainland China, he determined to go overseas to expand territory for the empire. He gave up his comfortable job at the General Staff Headquarters and took the initiative to apply to serve in the overseas troops.
Through his family's military connections, he was assigned to the North Korean Garrison Command as an artillery staff officer. He soon won the appreciation and promotion of the Garrison Commander with his diligence and superb professional abilities.
Two years later, he made great contributions when the Kwantung Army plotted to attack the North Camp of the Northeastern Army. As a major, he was promoted to the captain of a heavy artillery brigade of the North Korean garrison and became the independent military commander.
So, what role did Kyono Shunta play in the September 18th Incident?
It turned out that when the Kwantung Army plotted to attack Shenyang, they conducted many deductions according to the normal war process. They believed that the Beida Camp had been built for many years and was very strong, and they were worried that the Northeast Army would not be able to defeat it relying on its fortifications to resist.
Moreover, at the beginning of the construction of Beidaying, Japanese experts were invited to design, and many fortifications and fortresses were built to the standard of being able to withstand the blows of 150mm howitzers.
So Ishihara Kanji and other Kwantung Army staff members planned to obtain larger-caliber artillery from China and transport it to Shenyang as an attack weapon.
However, at that time, the Kwantung Army's plot to plot the Northeast was not authorized by the domestic General Staff Headquarters, and the Kwantung Army was not equipped with artillery with a caliber exceeding 150 mm, so it could only ask for help from North Korea's quasi-garrison troops.
The Japanese army has occupied and ruled North Korea for nearly 30 years. North Korea has become a forward base for the Japanese army to fight against the Soviet Union and China. Naturally, it pays more attention to firepower equipment, especially when it involves several important coastal ports, all of which have deployed large-caliber coastal defenses. gun.
There happened to be two Japanese Meiji Type 45 240mm siege guns that had just been built and were about to be shipped to North Korea.
After a series of operations between the Kwantung Army and the North Korean garrison, the ship that was supposed to be transported directly from Kobe to the Port of Busan was docked in Dalian, China for two days. The two 240mm heavy guns passed through the railway from Dalian without anyone noticing. Shipped to Shenyang.
The officer responsible for the specific implementation of this operation was Lieutenant Kyono Shuntai, who was also serving as the artillery staff officer of the North Korean Garrison Headquarters at that time.
You must know that the Japanese Meiji Type 45 240mm siege gun weighed 38 tons and was very heavy. During the transportation process, it could only be disassembled into parts and transported separately. After arriving at the Japanese barracks in Shenyang, it had to be assembled again.
Moreover, the requirements for the firing position are relatively high. The base must be solid and firm, and must be able to withstand the impact of the huge recoil generated by this kind of artillery fire.
Therefore, during the transportation, loading, unloading, assembly, and debugging of this kind of artillery, professionals must provide on-site guidance. Captain Kyono Shuntai was a professional officer who played a vital role in this planning process, and it was successfully completed. Completed the mission, and commanded these two heavy artillery pieces on the night of the September 18th Incident. Even though test firing was not possible, the first artillery strike accurately hit the Beida Camp.
Although the artillery firing position was built too hastily, and one of the cannons collapsed after firing a few shells, causing a shell to accidentally hit a residential area in Shenyang City, the flaws were not concealed. He made great contributions in the January 18th Incident.
What's more, in the hearts of the Japanese, killing a few Chinese civilians is not a big deal. It is difficult to say that the Northeast Army did not resist because it was afraid of the power of such artillery. It was so frightened that the army's morale was shaken and collapsed at the first touch, but it saved the empire a lot of artillery shells. money.
Therefore, when the Japanese army fully occupied Northeast China, Lieutenant Shuntai Kyono was prominently on the list of people seeking credit and rewards. Soon after, he was promoted to a first-class military rank, and at the age of less than 25, he became a mid-level officer of the Japanese army. He joined the ranks and served as the chief military officer at the brigade level. His future in the military is a smooth one.
Moreover, Kyono Shunta also relied on his own abilities and talents to win the favor and friendship of many middle- and senior-level officers in the Japanese Kwantung Army.