Chapter 396 Japanese Army Mobilization

The headquarters of the 7th Division of the Qiqihar Kwantung Army is located in a three-story building on the north side of the city.

Since this unit is the ace of the Japanese Army and the mobile unit of the Japanese Kanto Army, it does not serve as defense or alert tasks. In addition to focusing on field training, it also plays the task of training non-commissioned officers schools for each unit and sends new young officers. Therefore, many students who graduated from Japanese non-commissioned officers are proud to be able to intern in the 7th Division.

The students who graduated from this heroic army had a glorious garland of honor on their heads. Therefore, there was an unwritten joke in the Japanese Army that the 7th Division of the Army was a battlefield military academy for training Imperial Army officers.

As the commander of this army, General Zhongtan naturally felt supreme honor. As a professional soldier, there is a more important honor than this?

Open the archives of the 7th Division, from the Lushunkou battle in the Russo-Japanese War to the Japanese Expeditionary Force sending troops to Siberia in the Soviet Union in 1918, and interfering in the October conquest, this unit was not defeated.

At that time, the young Soviet Red Army was poorly equipped at that time. From military quality to commanding ability of the commander, they were far from being the opponent of the Seventh Division. The myth of the invincible Seventh Division was born.

In the spacious and bright office, Lieutenant General Yuantan, who was about to know his destiny, was sitting on a chair and staring at the documents on the table. Opposite the desk, the combat section chief of the Kanto Army Command, Colonel Masao Terada sat upright, staring at the legendary flower of the Imperial Army, Lieutenant General Yuantan, the commander of the 7th Division.

In order to ensure the victory of the Nomenhan Battle, considering the combat effectiveness of the 57th Special Army of the Soviet Union in the Mongolian Republic, the Kwantung Army Command also believes that relying solely on the 23rd Division and a mixed brigade of border guards is not enough. The troops that the Heilongjiang area and the Soviet Union cannot move, nor dare to move, and it is even more ridiculous to mobilize troops from China's frontal battlefield.

Therefore, at the critical moment, the Kwantung Army Command decided to show its trump card and use this Imperial Army Flower to participate in this meaningful border battle. First, it is close to the road and easy to mobilize and assemble; second, it is because this army is originally prepared to fight against the Soviet Union.

However, senior military personnel know that this force symbolizes the spiritual pillar of the Yamato nation and is a concrete manifestation of the samurai spirit. It can only win, not fail.

Once defeated or eliminated by the Soviet army, the blow to the Japanese army is huge and unbearable. Especially in the spiritual field of Japanese soldiers, the impact it has is incalculable. Based on this, the Japanese General Staff Headquarters has clearly instructed the Kanto Army that it cannot easily use this army unless it is absolutely necessary, and even if it is used, it must have corresponding preventive measures.

Although General Kenyoshi Ueda's leg was numb in Shanghai, his mind was still very smart. Of course, he understood the meaning of the Tokyo General Staff Headquarters.

The proposal of Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Isotani Ryosuke was adopted, and the main wings and rapid-fire artillery units of the 7th Division were transferred to Nomenhan and included in the combat sequence of the 23rd Division.

In this way, the headquarters of the 7th Division was still in Qiqihar, and its troops had already participated in the war, which enhanced the front-line combat power and did not damage the reputation of the 7th Division.

But this created an embarrassing problem. The 7th Division was destined to lose its troops and generals in future battles, but the final honor was from the 23rd Division, which was equivalent to letting General Yuantian plant rice in cold water and general Komatsuhara harvest rice.

This is inevitable that it is inconvenient. Yuqing cannot bear to follow the convention. General Zhongtan is more suitable to be the supreme commander on the front line than Komatsuhara. But if Komatsuhara becomes the commander, would Harada think?

The order is an order, but when the orders are considered unfair and feel guilty, the order is embarrassing. In order to show respect and for detailed explanation, the Kanto Army Command appointed the head of the combat section, and Colonel Terada Masao specially rushed from Shinkyo to Qiqihar City and to the 7th Division Command. To be polite, it was negotiation, but what was taken out was an order.

"Colonel Terada, just orders are issued directly. Colonel He Lao will go there in person?" Major General Katayama, chief of staff of the 7th Division, showed obvious inconspicuous concealment.

"I'm really sorry, the Commander knows that this is not appropriate, so I specially appointed me to apologize to you." Terada Masao was mentally prepared for this, but just kept apologizing.

The sun shines on the table through the gauze, and is refracted by glass on the sun flag on the wall. The gentle light shines on Yuantian's thin face. The purple-green smooth cheeks squirm a few times. The thick Adam's apple purrs inexplicably purr, as if they swallow a bitter crabapple.

Colonel Terada Masao saw Lieutenant General Masao left Commander Ueda's handwritten letter, silently took off his monocle glasses, and gently let out a long breath. This legendary figure also cannot be separated from the temptation of fame and fortune. Just now, when he was reading Commander Ueda's letter, he must have experienced a fierce battle like a surging wave.

"Tateda-kun" Harada Nakakura showed unusual politeness as soon as he spoke, indicating that the resistance had been resolved. "Everything is for holy war. As an emperor, life can be dedicated, and fame and fortune are still concerned? Please rest assured that the 7th Division obeys the order."

It was as if he had fallen from an iceberg into the stove, Terada Masao didn't know that this clever colonel in the Kanto Army threw all the polite words he had prepared aside, and hurriedly said that the division commander was so open-minded, which was a wonderful good sign."

"But I still have a question. I wonder if the Colonel can tell me frankly." Yuanda changed the topic and began to dig out the bottom of the Kanto Army Command.

"Please say, as long as I can answer." Terada Masao seemed very attentive at this time.

"Everyone, the situation on the frontal battlefield of China is very unsatisfactory, like a huge swamp, trapped in our more than one million troops. The Kwantung Army alone transferred more than a dozen divisions and eight mixed brigades. So far, there are only a handful of mobile divisions left in Manchuria. So, once the border battle in Nomenkan expands, the limited combat conflict becomes a battle in all Manchuria, which will be done?"

On this issue, Yuantanaka can be said to have hit the nail on the head and pointed out the most headache-inducing factor.

"No, if the Army Province and the General Staff really want to advance north, then our Manchurian troops will not be enough to deal with more than a dozen mechanized divisions in the Far East of the Soviet Union. China cannot even draw troops on the front battlefield. Can sufficient troops be guaranteed in the country?" Wuxu will not skip the word. Chief of Staff Katayama took over the topic.

He sincerely once the battle begins, we must move the battlefield to Mongolia and the Soviet Far East, and push hundreds of kilometers deep into the Soviet Union, or even more than one thousand kilometers. Can logistics supply ensure the materials needed for the front line without railways and highways?"

Masao Terada tasted the weight of the words of these two generals. This was a topic that no one could avoid and was the most difficult question to answer.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is trying to strive to sign a treaty on the Japan-Germany alliance with Germany, which is a step further than the Japan-Germany Agreement on Defense of the Communist Party concluded on December 25, 1936. The purpose is to make good progress and realize the strategic intention of attacking the Redistan Soviet Russia.

However, the German side has not yet reported it. In this way, the Japanese military believes that it is not sure to defeat the Soviet Union, not to mention that the main force of the army is trapped in the Chinese battlefield.

"Frankly speaking, neither the General Staff nor the Kanto Army Command meant a big fight, and we were not fully prepared in this regard." Masao Terada did not conceal his use of the conflict between Manchuria and Mongolia to fight a limited battle in some areas and occupy Mongolia to test the Soviet army."

"This idea is no longer realistic. The Soviet Union formed the Fifty-Seventh Far East Special Army and was directly under the command of Marshal Floshilov of the People's Committee of National Defense. What does this mean?" Nakatsuki Hori Tan asked directly on the table.

Major General Katayama was even more scrupulous and habitually sniffed. He took the title of General Komatsuhara's book on how to fight against the Soviet army. I read it many times. To be honest, this booklet has become the motto of many imperial generals and officers. However, the tactical methods explained are at the level of the Tsarist Russian era. Can the Soviet army not change in decades? Through the two small-scale military use of the Soviet army abroad in recent years, it can be seen that they have new developments in their tactical level and awareness of modern warfare."

Especially in airborne operations, the Soviet Union has put Japan aside for an era, let alone compare the huge gap between the comprehensive national strength brought about by the two sides in many areas such as land area, population gap, resource reserves and industrial capacity.

"Please tell me more." Out of the instinct of the combat section chief, Colonel Masao Terada became interested in Major General Katayama's words, although Katayama's words revealed disrespect for Lieutenant General Komatsuhara.

"For example, road-air integration, and field-tank-cannon coordination, etc., imagine that once this new combat style exerts its own power, it will be a three-dimensional effect, and its power will inevitably increase exponentially."

"Yes." Terada Masao nodded thoughtfully, and said to himself in a dreamlike way. We were just talking in theory, but the Soviet army had already made a try in actual combat. It was a move that was not good..."

"Colonel Terada, the troops of the 7th Division have already transferred two infantry regiments, six rapid-fire artillery squadrons, and two armored vehicles. The 28th regiment has transferred 1,500 Masahiro Kajikawa's reinforcement brigade, and now there are only 4,100 people from the 26th regiment." Yuanda asked Terada Masao tentatively, the implication was that he could not dim all, and he could not make me a commander with a bare body.

"Sorry, General." Terada Masao also lowered his head in embarrassment and said with quite understanding that the 26th Regiment must be transferred. As for the two brigades of the 28th Regiment... I think this is good, so the general left these two brigades to encircle Li Zhaolin's anti-Japanese forces to defend the brigade. The brigade is the throat of the Middle East Railway and the only channel for our transportation to Nomenhan. Its importance does not need to be explained."

"Then thank you Terada-kun." Nakayama said gratefully.

"There is another point to be explained. Can we let the participating wings leave the military flag?" Major General Katayama added.

Terada Masao was stunned when he heard this, and looked at Lieutenant General Zhongda with suspicious and confused eyes. He nodded as if he was sure of the other party. He was secretly shocked. He never expected that these two captains, known as the Flower of the Imperial Army, had no confidence in the current battle.

He stammered and asked this... The military flag is the confidence of a soldier, it is the soul of an army. What about the imperial army going to fight without the military flag? What about the soldiers below?”

A silence, an unbearable embarrassment.

"That's right," Nakatsuki Nakata coughed twice, and Kansaida's influence was also the 7th Division. This unit is not allowed to have big differences. I think this is also the reason why the Kanto Army Command does not allow us to participate in the entire war. We are not at the bottom of the Soviet army's combat power, but based on the intelligence information, we are not as optimistic as others."

In front of two colleagues and friends, Lieutenant General Sonoda did not hide his emotions at all. I insisted that the Soviet army was not weak, especially in firearm equipment, which was much better than our army. This battle would be unprecedentedly fierce. The flat banks of the Haraha River and the sand dunes would be the test site for new weapons. The 7th Division could be damaged and wiped out, but the military flag could not fall. It was the soul of this heroic army. If the military flag was there, the 7th Division would always exist. Colonel Terada, this is not just a matter of victory or defeat, I hope I can understand it."

Masao Terada suddenly understood, no, the Japanese army cannot be without the 7th Division. It can even be said that the flying military flag is the enterprising spirit of the Yamato nation to expand its territory and expand its territory. It is the clarion call for the conquest of Manchuria and Mongolia, conquering mainland China, and even the world.

According to the Japanese Army regulations, the loss of the military flag means the abolition of the establishment. Without the establishment, there will be nothing, and all the glory of the past will be wiped out.

"God of General, I can understand." Terada Masao nodded sincerely, but the military flag must be taken away. It is a symbol of the morale of a unit. You can notify the chief officer of the unit to place the military flag in a safe place in the rear when the war is about to be fought."

"This is very good, that is, it takes care of the face of the army, does not affect morale, and also keeps the safety of the military flag." Major General Katayama thought this was a good idea and agreed.

"Do you have any problems with the two generals?" Wu Zhuo didn't skip the words.

"May I ask, has the military command given instructions to Lieutenant General Komatsuhara, the 23rd Division, when it comes to using the troops of the 7th Division?" Although Major General Katayama was embarrassed, he still asked with a grudge. Such a question could not be made to let the division commander speak.

Masao Terada suppressed his smile and said with a serious expression. Lieutenant Resuke Isotani clearly instructed the 23rd Division to arrange the troops of the 7th Division in principle on the second line as an auxiliary force. Of course, this means under normal circumstances."

"Can you give some suggestions to the military headquarters?" Lieutenant General Yuantan was worried.

"Of course" Terada Masao nodded affirmatively, please speak, I am responsible for reporting in detail to the commander."

"First, although the opponent of the 23rd Division is the 57th Army of the Soviet Army, and it has the advantage of military personnel, it is not enough to rely solely on the division artillery of the 23rd Division. The Soviet army has always focused on leveraging the advantages of artillery fire, and it is recommended to configure heavy artillery troops for the 23rd Division." On the surface, Lieutenant General Zhongtan is for the 23rd Division, and in his bones, he tries every means to reduce the casualties of the troops.

"The headquarters has taken this issue into consideration. Once it is necessary, the heavy artillery troops in Lushun and Shenyang can be ordered to participate in the war at any time." Terada Masao said very surely.

"Secondly, air supremacy in the war zone is very important, especially the Soviet armored forces have obvious advantages. It is recommended to send an additional brigade of air force to Hailar, which will deal a fatal blow to the Soviet tank troops during the war."

"That's right, the Second Flight Group has been all transferred to the front line. Although it is slightly less than the Soviet army in terms of number, the performance of our land fighter jets and the quality of pilots are higher than that of the Soviet army, and air supremacy will always be in our hands." Terada Masao vowed.

Two cars were escorted by a team of guards and motorcycles, driving along the road leading to Jiangqiao. At the bridge head of Jiangqiao, the Japanese bunkers were closely guarded. Due to the harassment of a small anti-Japanese unit a few days ago, the Japanese army's nerves were touched. Two squadrons of guardian forces were sent to both ends of the bridge, and the anti-aircraft artillery troops were added. This place became the Japanese army's barracks.

The 26th Regiment of the 7th Division was stationed near Jiangqiao. The Japanese army trained in the barracks did have the style of an ace force, with a variety of training courses and extremely strict. General Zhongda and his party accompanied Masao Terada for a while, and then the captain of the regiment who rushed over hurriedly saw the news and saw the news.

After a brief greeting, I got to the point.

Major General Katayama briefly explained the mission, and then ordered the midnight troops to start the operation, and they sat in two special trains, so the mountain artillery brigade could set out later."

"Sujikun, I watched the soldiers' exercise for a long time, but I didn't see any meat bullet attacks?" asked Masao Terada.

"Oh, maybe this course was not arranged today." Xujian Colonel was stunned for a moment, glanced at the division commander who was on the side, and added that the troops had always used the Soviet army as an assumption of the enemy training. For their armored advantages, meat bomb attacks were listed as an important subject and had never been interrupted."

In the office of the wing headquarters, General Kazunaga Kamida talked with Colonel Toushi, a loved general who had been in trouble for many years.

"As an emperor, the orders cannot be violated, but there are some things that cannot be said." General Zhongtan said to his old subordinate standing upright.

"Please give the division commander a message." The colonel must see the head of the division commander summoned him separately before going to the war. He must have important instructions.

"Now everyone is keen on advancing north and is eager to fight with the Soviet army, as if they will win the battle. In fact, this expectation is very blind. It only sees the favorable aspects of the problem, avoids talking about difficulties, and is insufficient to estimate the possible crises. Can this battle be fought well?" No mistakes will be skipped.

"The division commander means..." The Colonel was confused and surprised. He thought the division commander must have been in the face to encourage him. He did not expect that he was so pessimistic and depressed, so he hurriedly asked if we should do it, and the division commander asked him to make it clear."

"There are two requirements, you must remember. Take good control of the troops at the moment and don't fight hard. The second is to leave the military flag behind when the battle is in crisis."

"Ah" I must have seen the Colonel was shocked. This was saying goodbye. He didn't expect that before the war really began, some officers were already desperate about the outcome, but they didn't know if this emotion had spread throughout the army.

But no matter what, now it is an arrow on the string. Going north to attack the Soviet Union is a foregone conclusion, and there is no doubt or change.
Chapter completed!