The Twelfth Army and the Jiaodong Group Army are currently in the "peaceful coexistence" stage. The Japanese defenders on the other side of the river have been reinforcing and thickening their defenses for more than half a year, but no fighting has occurred.
Hiiragi Iwasa, the leader of the Japs Squadron of the 219th Regiment of the 35th Division of the Japanese Army, was really free today. When he had nothing to do, he stood on a bunker and picked up a telescope to look at the other side. Originally, he just wanted to take a look, but
However, he suddenly discovered that there were more than a dozen Chinese officers on the wall of Putai County in the distance, inspecting the front line.
The Japanese Twelfth Army guarding Shandong originally had the 21st Division, the 32nd Division, the 114th Division, and the independent 5th, 6th, and 10th Brigades, with a total of about 60,000 people. However, due to the long-term relationship with the Shandong Group Army,
Due to attrition and multiple fierce battles, the total strength once dropped to more than 30,000 men.
The pressure on the Japanese army in Shandong increased sharply, and it was once facing a state of complete collapse. The Japanese base camp urgently deployed the 17th Division and the 35th Division, and the 59th Division was reinforced and assigned to the 12th Army.
Now, after more than half a year of rest and replenishment, the total strength of the Japanese Twelfth Army has reached more than 120,000, and its garrison size has more than doubled from the original size. Responsible for garrisoning the defense line on the north bank of the Yellow River is the Japanese 35th Division.
It was established in Japan on February 7, 1939, and has jurisdiction over the 219th, 220th, and 221st Infantry Regiments and the 35th Field Artillery Regiment.
The Japanese defense force on the other side of Putai County was the 219th Regiment of the 35th Division, which was newly assigned to the Twelfth Army. Although the faces and ranks of Jiang Qiang and others could not be clearly seen, from the officer uniforms they wore, Iwasa
Hiiragi knew intuitively that this group of people must have a lot of background, and it might even be Jiang Qiang who came in person.
After visual inspection, the opponent is about 10 kilometers away. The Taisho 14th-year-old 105mm field cannon installed in the bunker has a maximum effective range of 15 kilometers, so as long as it is aimed correctly, it is entirely possible to do a big job!
Thinking of this, Iwasa Hiiragi was extremely excited. If he really killed Jiang Qiang by mistake, he would be a hero of the empire, so he quickly jumped down from the top of the bunker. He ran to the squadron command post in a few steps and took the
I picked up the phone and called Captain Xiang.
Since the Shandong Army Group was too powerful and had suffered too much from the Japanese, it was difficult for the two sides to "peacefully coexist" through some kind of agreement, so the Japanese captain really did not dare to start the war easily. After receiving the call, the Japanese captain did not
Dare to make the decision without permission, so he quickly reported it to the commander. In this way, the news was uploaded layer by layer. In a short time, it reached the commander of the Japanese Twelfth Army, Juichi Terauchi. "Baga, such a small matter has actually spread.
Come to me?"
After receiving the call, Juichi Terauchi was very confused and thought to himself: "Have all the army officers of the Empire of Japan turned into a group of elementary school students? They need to ask for instructions before making decisions in everything?" Asasaburo Kobayashi stood aside.
He smiled bitterly and said: "Terauchi-kun, this cannot be blamed on the frontline troops, because our enemies are too powerful, and they must retaliate. Once the artillery is fired, it will definitely lead to extremely violent counterattacks."
"Baga! It's because of this that I feel extremely angry and humiliated. The Imperial Japanese Army has no courage to show its sword to the enemy!" Terauchi naturally knew the reason, but he really couldn't stand this aggrievement. Because Terauchi himself
He is a war radical who has always been active and daring and slightly reckless. He is known as the "brave-footed general". In the Zhang Gufeng incident, he led 6,000 participating troops of the 19th Division to launch a provocation against Wang Yizhe.
Temple Shouichi led Wang Yizhe to defend the Zhanggufeng Highlands under intensive artillery fire, with casualties as high as 20%. The Japanese base camp judged that Wang Yizhe had no intention of starting a war, and concentrated 300,000 men from 10 divisions to capture Hankou. However, there was no forced landing of the Chinese government.
The military force against Wang Yizhe was severely weakened again.
At this point, the Japanese army was even more afraid to go north to fight against the powerful Wang Yizhe. On November 9, Tousuke Terauchi was appointed as the commander of the newly established 12th Army. The military headquarters was stationed in Jinan to guard Shandong. Kobayashi Senzaburo tactfully persuaded: "Terauchi-kun, please calm down."
, the mission of our Twelfth Army is to encircle the Shandong Group Army, and now it has finally been stable for several months. It is best not to break this situation easily on the battlefield before the base camp makes up its mind to carry out a large-scale encirclement and annihilation."
As the chief of staff of the Twelfth Army, Asaburo Kobayashi is more pragmatic and has a better memory. This is not to say that Asaburo Kobayashi is greedy for life and afraid of death, but that he knows that Jiang Qiang is a master who never wants to suffer losses. Once he angers him
There is no such thing as unlucky one!
Just like not long ago, Ishii's troops launched germ warfare against Laiyang County. As a result, not only did they not cause any damage worth mentioning to the Shandong Army, but they damaged an aircraft carrier and two destroyers.
Therefore, Kobayashi Senzaburo had already made up his mind. As long as Jiang Qiang did not take the initiative to attack, he would never provoke Jiang Qiang. Naturally, Terauchi Juichi knew the power of this, but he still asked unwillingly: "Kobayashi-kun,
What if it’s really Jiang Qiang himself on the wall of Putai County? Then wouldn’t we say that we have missed a good opportunity?”
Kobayashi Asaburo said: "If we can really annihilate this culprit in one fell swoop, it will be a miracle, but the chance of this is too low! Let's not say whether the opponent is Jiang Qiang, but from such a distance, if you want to hit him with one shot
, this is almost impossible!
The base camp is formulating a big battle plan against the Shandong Group Army. It is really not appropriate for us to take drastic actions now and affect the strategy formulation of the base camp!" "Baga!" Terauchi Juichi cursed with great reluctance. He really wanted to block him.
But the last trace of reason told him that he would lose nine times out of ten bets. Once he failed, he would face unbearable pressure!
"Baga, why haven't you called back yet? They are about to leave!" Iwasa Hiiragi called out excitedly, and then ordered several Taisho 14th-year-old 105mm field cannons to be adjusted to shoot at Zhugen.
With just one order, the group on the other side of the river could be blown to pieces.
He was supposed to get permission to fire the cannon soon, but after waiting and waiting for no orders, the group of people in the telescope had already begun to descend the city wall one by one. Iwasa Hiiragi was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot.
Ding ding, the phone finally rang at this moment. Iwasa Hiiragi felt nervous and quickly picked up the phone. However, the order coming from the phone was not to fire immediately, but not to act without authorization. Anyone who disobeys the order will be subject to military law.
"Nani? You gave up such a good opportunity in vain? Is the Empire of Japan really afraid of the Jiaodong Army?" Iwasa Hiiragi suddenly felt chills in his heart, and the area of the shadow in his heart expanded infinitely! "Chief, the little devil is really being beaten.
We were scared out of our wits, haha!" "No, those cannons have been aiming for a long time, but they didn't dare to fire. This is not the way of little devils!"
"Hmph, I hope they fire a few more shots, and we can use the topic to our advantage and blow him up to earth-shattering proportions!" "So, with us always here, the Japanese are just paper tigers who bully the weak and fear the strong!" In fact, all of Iwasa Hiiragi's movements fell into place.
In the eyes of the sentries along the coastal defense line, they informed their superiors of the situation from the very beginning.
After Jiang Qiang got the information, he stopped and continued to inspect the city wall as if nothing had happened. He wanted to know if the Japanese would finally have the courage to fire. This was not Jiang Qiang's fault, but that even though they were ten kilometers away,
It was the Japanese who fired the artillery, and they had enough time to dodge, so they didn't have to worry about being bombed.
On the other hand, if the Japanese really attack with artillery, Jiang Qiang can naturally break the deadlock and initiate a self-defense counterattack.
The reason why Jiang Qiang wants such an effect is not only that he does not want to over-charge the hatred value now, but also wants to create an overall impression of a "little ambition" and "a peaceful warlord" for the Japanese army. "Don't worry, the development time is right."
It is even more valuable to us! As long as you seize the time to train the troops, they will be useful in the future!"
After waiting for more than ten minutes, he still didn't see any movement from the Japanese. Jiang Qiang knew that waiting any longer would have consequences, so he led a group of people down the city wall in a swaggering manner.
Kwantung Army Headquarters. On the occasion of congratulating the New Year, General Ishihara Wanji, Pu Yi, Tan Yuling, Pu Jie, Saga Hao, Kawashima Yoshiko, Zhang Jinghui, Zhang Yanqing, Zhu Shushen and other important officials of the Manchukuo royal family, as well as foreign envoys stationed in Manchukuo
, reporters, all were invited to the headquarters, and a very grand reception and dance was held.
Chinese culture is extensive and profound and has always influenced neighboring countries. As a neighboring country, Japan began to learn Chinese culture very early and introduced various traditional festivals and customs of China.
Especially since the late 7th century, Japan has fully adopted the Chinese calendar and introduced all Chinese festivals. Of course, the Spring Festival is no exception. On the 30th day of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Japanese New Year habits are similar to those of the Chinese.
During the Tokugawa shogunate era in Japan in the mid-19th century, the powerful Tokugawa shogunate implemented a "closing policy" to the outside world, prohibiting foreign missionaries, businessmen and civilians from entering Japan, not allowing Japanese from abroad to return to the country, and even prohibiting manufacturing products suitable for ocean-going
sailing ships.
However, in some economically developed areas, the germination of capitalism appeared, impacting the feudal natural economy and fundamentally shaking the foundation of the shogunate's rule. Later, after a series of wars, under the command of Emperor Meiji, the Japanese people overthrew Germany.
Under the rule of the Shogunate, a country was established as a constitutional monarchy.
Subsequently, Emperor Meiji carried out a series of reform measures. Among these measures, one of them was to abolish the Spring Festival. However, in order to create an atmosphere of goodwill between China and Japan, and to give Puyi dignity and presence, the Kwantung Army Command made a special exception this year in accordance with the Chinese Spring Festival.
Traditionally, door couplets are pasted, window grilles are pasted, and lanterns are hung to create a dazzling display.
At the same time, the banquet was a combination of Chinese and Western, with both Western-style buffets and Chinese-style wine and dishes. This celebration scene was extremely grand. Under the circumstances, Ishihara Kanji changed his original fate and replaced him as the Japanese Kwantung Army.
The commander and plenipotentiary ambassador to Manchuria became the actual controller of puppet Manchuria.
After more than a year of hard work, not only a large number of coal liquefaction industries were built and put into operation, but also a large number of military industrial enterprises were built, and the Emperor of Manchukuo, Puyi, who wanted to revive the Qing Empire, was also subdued through maneuvers. This sleight-of-hand operation made it even more
This gave the "China-Japan friendship" a little more face and made it more confusing, which made the puppet Manchu emperor's alliance and the Manchu remnants' favorability towards the Japanese a lot higher.
Objectively speaking, the economy, military, and public security of the entire three eastern provinces have been greatly improved. The most important thing is that the production of refined oil has increased significantly. The industrial chain of heavy weapons such as artillery, tanks, and aircraft is about to take shape. Manchukuo has already
With the new atmosphere of the "engine" of the Japanese Empire. Through this series of actions, Ishihara Kanji not only displayed his talents and ambitions, firmly holding the top spot, but also made the base camp and Emperor Hirohito extremely satisfied with him.
After going through a series of cutscenes and entering free time, Ishihara Wanji walked up to Puyi with a glass of wine in his hand and said with a smile on his face: "Your Majesty, thank you very much for your contribution to the Sino-Japanese friendship over the past year.
The Empire of Japan will never treat its true friends badly! Cheers to our better cooperation and win-win situation in the future!"
Pu Yi clinked his glasses with a smile on his face and said: "I am very grateful to Commander Ishihara for his care. Manchukuo is what it is today, thanks to Commander Ishihara's unique vision!"
Over the past year or so, Puyi has gradually regained his dignity and sense of existence. The real power he controls far exceeds that of the original puppet emperor. He has a certain say in employment and governance, so deep down he is still grateful.
Ishihara smiled.
Although the Japanese is still the "Emperor" of Puppet Manchuria and is still the actual controller, Puyi at least feels dignity, which is much better than the previous one where even the guards around him are completely controlled by the Japanese.
"China and Japan are friendly and jointly create the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This is a great thing that benefits both sides." Ishihara smiled and nodded, and then said seductively: "Your Majesty, as the Imperial Japanese Army marches on,
With victory, in the future, the entire East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and even the wider world space will crawl at our feet! At that time, the emperor can completely restore the glory of the Qing Empire and become a great emperor in Chinese history comparable to the Qin Emperor and the Han Dynasty!"
"Thank you for your good words, cheers!" Pu Yi was so excited when he heard that, his hands began to tremble slightly. He clinked the glasses with Ishihara Wan'er in great excitement and then raised his head and poured half a glass of red wine into his stomach. "Cheers to the friendship between China and Japan.
!" Seeing Pu Yi's excited look, Ishihara's eyes flashed with a mocking smile, and then disappeared completely.
Immediately afterwards, Ishihara Wanji was very graceful and polite. He walked around, clinking glasses and toasting with people, and said a lot of nice things. This old devil seemed to have transformed into a long-sleeved dancer who was loved by everyone.
The social butterfly made the whole hall's guests smile with joy, and the atmosphere was so good. "Your Majesty, and distinguished guests, I am really too drunk. Please forgive me for taking a leave and taking a rest. Please continue to enjoy yourself!"
It was almost time to eat, drink and have fun. Ishihara Wanji, who was a little too drunk, took the initiative to say goodbye, and then staggered towards the inner courtyard lounge. At this moment, Kawashima Yoshiko calmly pretended to be drunk.
, followed Wanji Ishihara out of the hall. I just received a commendation order from Emperor Hirohito this morning. Although there was not much practical reward, it looked like a very ordinary telegram of congratulations.
But the meaning behind it is not simple. It can at least explain one problem: the emperor is very satisfied with his performance. As long as he continues to maintain the momentum of development, his official career will be bright. After receiving the commendation order signed by Emperor Hirohito, Ishihara Wanji
He just felt that his life had reached its peak, and he felt twice as happy. So tonight he was very excited. Not only did he dance well with his long sleeves to make the banquet atmosphere very good, but he also opened his belly and ate and drank. As the wine got stronger, Ishihara Wan
I could only stagger to the lounge not far from the banquet hall, wanting to slow down my drinking first!
Just after sitting back on the sofa and taking a nap, Kawashima Yoshiko walked into the lounge carrying a soup bowl and said with a smile on her face: "Commander Ishihara, you drank a little too much tonight, I guess you are a little drunk now.
Are you feeling uncomfortable? This is the hangover soup I got from the kitchen. You will feel better after drinking it!" "Yo Xi, thank you Miss Yoshiko for your kindness, but I'm much better now, so I don't need to drink the hangover soup!"
Ishihara nodded and smiled, knowing that this Manchu princess came to show her courtesy at this time, and she probably came to see him for something, so he pointed with his hand and said: "Miss Yoshiko, please sit down, you are so beautiful tonight!" "Thank you, Commander Ishihara."
Praise!"
Ishihara Wanji was very wary and did not accept the sobering soup, but Kawashima Yoshiko was not surprised at all. It was just a pretext to give the sobering soup, and she did not expect Ishihara Wanji to trust her unconditionally. She smiled at Ishihara Wanji, Kawashima
Yoshiko then elegantly sat on the sofa opposite and said with a smile: "Thank you, Commander, for taking care of our royal family for more than a year, so that we can have the dignity and glory we have today!
A drop of kindness should be repaid by a spring. We will keep your kindness in mind, Commander, and will definitely repay you twice as much in the future." Ishihara waved his hands and smiled: "Miss Yoshiko, don't be too polite, we are true friends and partners.
With common interests and enemies, we naturally need to help each other and benefit from each other!"
"Your Excellency, Commander, is worthy of being a genius in the Empire of Japan. I am extremely lucky to have a backer like you in Manchukuo!" Yoshiko Kawashima flattered her for a while, and then said with a smile: "Congratulations to Your Excellency, Commander, for once again
After receiving the order of commendation from His Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Commander is only one step away from being promoted to general!" "Where! Where! How can it be so easy to be promoted to general? This matter has not been revealed yet!"
Ishihara Wanji waved his hands modestly, but his heart had already blossomed. Promoting to a general had always been his long-cherished wish and dream, and now he finally saw a little hope! Just like the ecological chain of nature, Mori Yue is a large-scale
Predators, the higher they are in the food chain, the smaller their numbers are. Just like tigers and foxes, bears and hyenas, although there are overlaps in their diets, their statuses are not comparable.
And this metaphor is also very suitable for describing the Japanese army. If the Japanese generals are the top beasts in the forest, then the status of a newly promoted mid-level officer can only be compared with that of a fox that can bite people.
.
This is mainly because in Japanese society, the power of generals is often very great. The prime minister and the dean of the Privy Council that ordinary people dream of all their lives are just equals to sitting with generals. As the old saying goes, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility.
Big, in order to prevent this right from being abused, the Japanese take great pains to select generals and set every line. Whatever young general you want to become, it is something that can only be dreamed of.
In terms of the most basic application qualifications, only staying in the position of lieutenant general for five full years can be regarded as a ticket to the door. Even so, for most Japanese officers, the rank of general is more like a lieutenant general.
The carrot in front of the donkey can be seen or not eaten. On the other side of reaching the general position, there are two mountains of military exploits and important positions.
According to records, there are probably more than a thousand lieutenant generals recorded in Japanese history, but the promotion rate is only about 10%. Most of them have wasted their entire lives in the position of lieutenant general.
First, he felt pleased with himself for a long time. Suddenly, Ishihara Wan'er was slightly startled. He looked at Kawashima Yoshiko with wide eyes and said, "Miss Yoshiko, how did you know? I didn't announce this to the outside world, did I?"
Your Excellency, Commander, how could such a great thing be concealed?"
Faced with Ishihara Kanji's doubts, Kawashima Yoshiko explained without any panic: "To be honest, when I called my colleague to chat with him today, my colleague accidentally revealed the news! So please rest assured, Commander, even if you are
Even if I had ten more courages, I wouldn't dare to spy on you!"
Ishihara smiled and closed his eyes slightly, then opened his eyes and asked with a smile: "Is the teacher you are talking about Doihara Kenji?" Kawashima Yoshiko smiled and nodded: "Yes, my teacher is Doihara Kenji.
.I am able to have the abilities and achievements I have today, thanks to my teacher’s discerning eye for talent.
With the guidance and help of my teacher, I have made great contributions to the Empire of Japan. Although I am not directly under my teacher now, I still have contact with him!" Within the Japanese military headquarters, Kenji Doihara is recognized as the most important person in the empire.
One of the "Four Great Chinese Masters", the other three are Itagaki Seishiro, Okamura Neji and Isotani Rensuke. In order to display his talents, Doihara Kenji spent many years traveling around China and learned about Chinese culture.
, have a thorough understanding of the national conditions.
One of his basic ideas is to "use Chinese systems". "Chinese people are not united. As long as we grasp this and use the most prestigious people among them, we can manage the Chinese themselves on our behalf." Based on his understanding of Chinese civilization
Kenji Doihara knew that thousands of years of feudal history had made the Chinese people extremely dependent on the royal family. When he learned that there was a "Chinese princess" in Japan who had been domesticated enough to be used with confidence, he was very happy.
He immediately became very interested in Yoshiko Kawashima.
After Kawashima Yoshiko got acquainted with her, he repeatedly entrusted her with important tasks. Even when Kawashima Yoshiko was at a low point, Doihara Kenji valued her potential very much. Kawashima Yoshiko gave the greatest reward to Doihara Kenji who admired her.
, is an outstanding performance in the establishment of "Manchukuo".
The establishment of "Manchukuo" is the common wish of both of them. In this process, Kawashima Yoshiko can be said to have "dedicated herself to death". With the aura of "gege", Kawashima Yoshiko is like a real
Like the "Princess in Distress", she moved around to win over people's hearts and win aid. These activities laid a solid foundation for Kenji Doihara's success. In 1941, when the "Kiri Project" was leaked, Yoshiko Kawashima was almost executed by Hideki Tojo.
It was only thanks to the intercession of Doihara Kenji and Itagaki Seishiro that he was spared. At this time, Doihara Kenji and Itagaki Seishiro had already put Jiang Qiang on trial and sentenced him to death. It is not known whether the fate of this Qing Dynasty princess will change.