Ishihara smiled and turned to look at Mitsuo Nakazawa, with a very strange expression on his face, "Nakazawa-kun, do you think four thousand people died is a lot?"
"I……"
Mitsuo Nakazawa was stunned for a moment, and for a moment he didn't know how to reply?
Are the casualties of more than 4,000 people many?
If you look at it from the perspective of a brigade commander, this brigade has already suffered nearly half of its casualties. According to regulations, it can return to the country for repairs. But if it is divided equally between two divisions, the casualty rate of more than 4,000 people seems to be
It’s nothing,
Seeing Mizuo Nakazawa's troubled face, Ishihara smiled and said, "Nakazawa-kun, you are also an old man of the 16th Division. If I remember correctly, when Nanjing was captured in 1937, you were already there.
Is the Sixteenth Division in service?"
Mitsuo Nakazawa's expression froze, and he nodded slowly: "Yes."
Ishihara Wanji continued: "You must be aware that the Sixteenth Division under the leadership of Mr. Nakajima massacred Chinese prisoners and civilians who had put down their guns, right?"
Now Mitsuo Nakazawa's face began to look ugly. There were many Japanese troops who participated in the Nanjing Massacre, a total of seven or eight divisions. But when it came to who killed the most, the 16th Division was second.
People dare to consider themselves first.
The Nanjing Massacre caused great sensation and shock in the world. Therefore, it was not long before the commander of the 16th Division, Nakajima Ikago, and the commander of the 6th Division, Hisao Tani, were transferred from their posts and put into the reserve force.
The 16th Division also became infamous because of this. Now that Ishihara Wanji brought up the past, Mizuo Nakazawa's face naturally became very ugly.
Seeing Mizuo Nakazawa's unnatural expression, Ishihara smiled faintly: "Nakazawa-kun, the reason why I bring up the old things is not to make fun of you, but to ask you something. When you massacred thirty people in Nanjing,
When the army and the people were fighting against each other, did you ever think about whether too many people were killed?"
"Well..."
Mitsuo Nakazawa frowned, not knowing how to answer.
In fact, this answer does not need to be answered, because since Japan defeated the Manchu Beiyang Navy and gained absolute advantage over China, the Japanese government and opposition parties no longer regarded China as an opponent, and the Japanese army also began to educate the lower-level soldiers.
That is to no longer regard the Chinese military and civilians as human beings, but as creatures similar to animals.
Don't think it's incredible. In another historical time and space, after Japan's defeat, someone interviewed Japanese veterans who participated in the Nanjing Massacre. This is what those veterans told reporters.
Before participating in the massacre, his superiors told him not to regard the Chinese as human beings, but as the same things as animals, so he should not have any mental burden about massacring them.
Look, this was the mentality of the Japanese authorities towards China at that time.
As a mid-level and senior officer, Mitsuo Nakazawa certainly knew about these tricks in the army, but he did not say these things in public, which made it difficult to handle.
"Okay, Mr. Nakazawa, if you don't feel comfortable answering, then stop talking." Ishihara smiled and stopped Mitsuo Nakazawa who was hesitant to speak.
"Nakazawa-kun, I have long said that once the Empire of Japan and China start a full-scale war, it cannot be resolved quickly.
China's land area is dozens of times that of the Empire, and its population is six to seven times that of the Empire. Only a fool like Sugiyama Gen would clamor for three months to solve the China problem."
Hearing this, Mitsuo Nakazawa could only shake his head and smile bitterly. Only Ishihara Wanji dared to criticize the empire's chief of staff and field marshal so unscrupulously.
Realizing that he could no longer let this guy unscrupulously comment on the empire's top officials, Mitsuo Nakazawa quickly changed the subject, "Your Excellency, division commander, you haven't told me the answer yet."
"Answer?" Ishihara smiled brightly, "Didn't I tell you? Since you took it for granted that you killed 300,000 Chinese people in Nanjing back then, you can't stand it anymore when we only killed more than 4,000 people.
Is it possible that you think that war is just a game of house, where we only need to kill people and no one else is allowed to kill us?"
"this……"
Mitsuo Nakazawa was silent. It wasn't that what Ishihara Wanji said didn't make sense, but that it made too much sense.
Yes, who stipulates that only they can kill Chinese people, but Chinese people are not allowed to kill Japanese people.
Ishihara Wanji stared at him and said word by word: "Nakazawa-kun, you have to remember that this is a life and death war. If you defeat the Japanese Empire, you can become the top country in the world, even Britain and the United States.
It can be stepped on, and it can even determine the national destiny of the Japanese Empire for the next hundred years.
If we lose, the Japanese Empire will fall into the abyss in one fell swoop and will not be able to turn around within a hundred years, so we cannot afford to lose, and we cannot lose. Do you understand? If you are still sad because of the deaths of thousands of people,
If so, I suggest you apply for transfer from active duty as soon as possible."
Nakazawa Mizuo was silent for a long time, and then silently bowed to Ishihara Wanji, "Sir, I understand. It seems that I was so blinded by the success of these years that I developed the kindness of a woman. Fortunately,
Your reminder, otherwise I would still be immersed in the dream of the Japanese Imperial Army being invincible."
"Hmm... As long as you understand." Ishihara Wanji nodded with satisfaction, "But you don't have to worry, I sent a telegram to Commander Tada the day before yesterday, requesting him to combine SJZ's third tank group with the troops stationed in Shanxi
The 21st Flying Squadron has also been seconded, and once they arrive, we can launch a full-scale attack on the Chinese."
Mitsuo Nakazawa was overjoyed, "Yo Xi... It turns out that the division commander has already made a comprehensive plan. It seems that I am overthinking it. If the 21st Flying Squadron and the 3rd Tank Group can arrive, it will be impossible to eliminate Gao Hongming on the opposite side."
No effort.”
"Nakazawa-kun, you have to remember that there is an old Chinese saying that even a lion needs all his strength to fight a rabbit, so you must never underestimate any enemy, do you understand?"
"Hi...thank you, Division Commander, for your teachings."
The sky gradually darkened, and the entire land fell into darkness.
Most of the Japanese soldiers who had just finished a day's fighting fell asleep, and the only sound on the ground was the sound of commands and footsteps from the patrols from time to time.
At the regimental command post of the Liantai Militia, less than ten kilometers away from Qianqiu Bridge, all the officers of the Liantai Militia at battalion level and above were present.
More than a dozen officers looked at Gao Hongming, who was sitting in the front seat. Everyone looked serious. No one knew what was going on when they were suddenly called.
After Gao Hongming looked around with sharp eyes, Langxess said: "Everyone, I suddenly called everyone here tonight because I have something to tell you. Our group's days of being passively beaten these days are coming to an end.
Tonight, our regiment will launch a counterattack against the Japanese, and strive to defeat the two Japanese divisions in one battle."
"What?"
Everyone was shocked when they heard this sentence at first.