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The telegram sent by the Nakamura Agency soon reached Tokyo.
At this time, Emperor Hirohito of Japan was holding an imperial meeting at the Imperial Palace. The main topic of this imperial meeting was the strategic issue of fighting against the Soviet Union.
The Battle of Nomonkan has been won, and war on the Soviet Union has been officially declared. Therefore, there is no need to discuss whether to launch a full-scale war against the Soviet Union. It has become a fait accompli. How can we still discuss it
What needs to be discussed now is the strategy for fighting against the Soviet Union. Should it be based on the long-term siege strategy proposed by Kanji Ishihara, or should it be based on the victory tactic just proposed by the deputy commander of the 6th Army, Hideki Tojo
Whether it is Ishihara Kanji's siege tactics or Tojo Hideki's victory tactics, each has its own support, and both are plausible and can speak a lot of truth. Because they can't argue with each other, they can only hold an imperial meeting. Unify our thinking, otherwise if we allow this situation to continue to spread, it will affect the war against the Soviet Union.
"I think it is appropriate to adopt long-term siege tactics." An officer with the rank of colonel on his shoulders stood up and said.
This colonel's name is Adachi Twenty-three. He was just transferred back from the Kwantung Army Headquarters to serve in the General Staff Headquarters of the Sixth Army. Moreover, Ishihara Kanji was the one who fought against him. The reason why Ishihara Kanji fought against Adachi Twenty-three's general staff was He served in the General Staff Department because Anda Twenty-Three was closer to his philosophy, so that he could have someone to speak for him in the General Staff Headquarters.
Today's imperial meeting is a staff meeting, and all relevant personnel are eligible to attend. Although Anda Twenty-three is only a small section chief of the General Staff of the Sixth Army, because he has just been transferred back to the country from the Kwantung Army, he is very important to The situation of the Kwantung Army was relatively familiar, so Hirohito named him to participate.
From this point of view, Ishihara Wanji's goal has been achieved.
Hirohito nodded and said: "Adachi-kun, tell me your reasons why it is appropriate to adopt long-term siege tactics?"
Deep down in his heart, Hirohito was inclined towards a decisive battle, especially the performance of the Kwantung Army in the Battle of Nomenkan, which gave the Japanese army the confidence and confidence to decisively fight. Since the Kwantung Army could quickly defeat the Soviet army in the Battle of Nomonkan, Then in the next Far East battle, the same can be done.
But Anda Twenty-three, who had just been transferred back from the Kwantung Army, didn't think so.
Anda Twenty-three paused and said, "Your Majesty, and all the gentlemen, you only saw the Kwantung Army's victory like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves in the Battle of Nomenkan, but you did not see the Kwantung Army's preparations before the war. As well as the losses during the battle, if you pay attention to the battle reports, you will know that the losses of the Kwantung Army in the Battle of Nomenkan are not even lower than those of the Soviet army! Therefore, if the Kwantung Army wants to adopt decisive tactics, can it win first? Needless to say, even if we win in the end, the battle losses will probably be astronomical!"
Hearing this, Tojo Hideki couldn't hold himself back and stood up to refute.
Hirohito waved his hand and said to Tojo Hideki: "Tojo-kun, let Adachi-kun finish his words first."
Tojo Hideki could only shut his mouth obediently and sit back. The emperor still had to give him face.
Adachi Twenty-three bowed slightly to Hirohito and continued: "But if a long-term siege strategy is adopted, the price the imperial army will pay will be much smaller."
After a pause, Anda 23 continued: "Although the Far East of the Soviet Union is vast, there are only two channels connecting it to the outside world. One is the sea channel, and the other is the Siberian Railway. The Far East Fleet of the Soviet Navy simply cannot It’s not worth mentioning that the Imperial Navy is enough to blockade the coast of the Far East, so the only remaining channel is the Siberian Railway. Therefore, the Kwantung Army’s siege of the Soviet Army in the Far East does not require an encirclement in the usual sense, but only needs to capture the Red Sea. Tower, cutting off the Siberian Railway can make it happen!”
He paused again, and after Hirohito, Tojo Hideki and others finished digesting what he said, Adachi Twenty-san continued: "The Far East of the Soviet Union does not have a complete industrial system, especially food cannot be self-sufficient. Once the Siberian Railway is cut off by me, the Soviet Army in the Far East will be trapped in less than six months, and in less than a year, the Soviet Army in the Far East will be in despair. If the siege lasts for two years, the Kwantung Army will be able to occupy it without any effort. The whole Far East.”
At this point, Adachi Twenty-san had finished all his arguments, and when he was about to take a seat, Tojo Hideki stopped him.
In fact, Tojo Hideki could no longer hold himself back. Huo Ran stood up and questioned: "Adachi-kun, what you just said is all just talk on paper. I can tell you clearly now that the strategy of long-term siege, whether it is from a tactical level It’s not feasible from a strategic level, it simply won’t work!”
Adachi twenty-three said: "Please give me some advice, Mr. Tojo."
Hideki Tojo hummed and said: "Let's talk about the tactical level first. Deep inside Chita, it is only connected to Manchuria by the Middle East Railway, and it is also at least 500 kilometers away from Hailar, the outpost of the Kwantung Army that stocked up supplies. Once the Soviet Air Force If the railway is blown up, how can we ensure the supplies for the Chita defenders?"
After a pause, Tojo Hideki continued: "Adachi-kun, you only saw that after the Siberian Railway was cut off, the Soviet Army in the Far East would become a lone army, but you did not have the ability to see clearly that the Imperial Army going deep into Chita would become a lone army. A lone army, and this lone army will be attacked from the east and west by Soviet armies coming from the Far East and Central Asia!"
After another pause, Tojo Hideki continued: "I would like to ask Mr. Adachi, faced with such a predicament, how did the Kwantung Army defend Chita before it sent out a group? How did it ensure that the Siberian Railway would not be opened? How did it ensure that the traffic from Europe and Central Asia was not blocked? The military supplies will not enter the Far East? Mr. Anda, please answer me."
Anda Twenty-Three replied: "This requires a competition of the will and endurance of both sides. I have never said that the Empire can easily defeat the Soviet Union. In fact, the Soviet Union is no more than a giant to the Empire. If the Imperial Army Without ten times the tenacity and a hundred times the patience, it is absolutely impossible to defeat the Soviet army."
"You are sophistry." Hideki Tojo snorted and said, "As for the strategic level, Adachi-kun, you only saw that after two years of siege, the Soviet army in the Far East would collapse without a fight, but you did not see that , after two years of besieging the Far East, the empire's finances have collapsed, and it may not even take two years, but six months."
Finance Minister Ishikatsu Ino Taro immediately agreed: "What Tojo-kun said is absolutely true. The empire's finances will never be able to support the Kwantung Army's two-year large-scale battle."
"That being said, we can only fight to the death."
"Although the cost of a decisive battle is high in the short term, it is acceptable in the long term."
"I have long said that the war in the Far East must be fought to a conclusion. The Soviet Army in the Far East seems to be powerful, but in fact it is just a strong force on the outside. If the Kwantung Army is really determined, it will not be difficult to win."
The attitudes of the participants began to appear one-sided.
Hirohito saw that the time was almost up, and just when he was about to stand up and make the final decision, an attendant suddenly walked in and whispered a few words in the ear of Chief of General Staff Hanin Gong Zaihito.
Xianyuan Gong Zairen's expression immediately changed.
Hirohito frowned and asked, "Uncle Emperor, what's the problem?"
Xianyuan Gong Zairen took a breath and said: "Your Majesty, we just received an urgent call from the Zhongcun Agency, saying that Xu Rui, who has been missing for nearly four months, has actually sneaked into Shanghai long ago. His current identity is the Commander of the Patrol Battalion of the Western Concession!"
"Nani?!" Hirohito's expression changed suddenly when he heard this, and he shouted, "The commander of the patrol battalion is actually Xu Rui?!"
Many staff members who attended the meeting also changed their expressions. Who is Xu Rui? He is the sworn enemy of the empire!
What happened in the patrol camp was quite big, and it was no secret to everyone here. In addition to making the British disgraced and disgraced by the patrol camp, why didn't the Japanese suffer at their hands? Now, Xu Rui, the empire's sworn enemy, has joined forces with the patrol battalion, a formidable opponent. What's the point
Oh no, it’s not a merger, it’s just a group!
Look now, the patrol camp was built by Xu Rui!
"Baga!" Tojo Hideki also realized that the situation was very bad and said solemnly, "If you put it this way, the situation in Shanghai may take a turn for the worse in a short period of time!"
Hirohito knocked on the table and then said: "Everyone, you will not get off work today. I will let the Imperial Palace prepare dinner. Please stay with me in the Imperial Palace. After dinner, we will hold the imperial meeting and continue the discussion." How to deal with Xu Rui? The threat of Xu Rui must not be underestimated and must be treated at the highest level!"
The Minister of the Army of the Sixth Army, Shou Yihai, said in a low voice, "But Your Majesty, is the Kwantung Army still waiting for a reply?"
Yes, the Kwantung Army is currently eagerly waiting for a reply from the base camp. If it is a decisive battle, then the Kwantung Army will use all its elites to attack the Soviet Far East Front from five directions at the same time. Chita, Ulaanbaatar, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Amur will all become targets of attack by the Kwantung Army.
However, if a long-term siege tactic is adopted, the main force of the Kwantung Army will remain stationary, but the attack group out of Chita will be strengthened. The Kwantung Army plans to organize the second division and the fourth division into the attack group to temporarily organize Cheng Chita sent troops to completely cut off the Siberian Railway.
Whether it is a decisive battle or a long-term siege, the decision must be made as soon as possible without delay.
After Terauchi Shouichi finished speaking, everyone present turned their attention to Hirohito.
Hirohito's facial muscles twitched twice and said: "Reply to the Kwantung Army immediately and besieged for a long time!"
"Nani, you are under siege for a long time?" Hideki Tojo said in shock, "Your Majesty, think twice!"
"Is there any other choice?" Hirohito snorted and said angrily, "If the battle is to be decisive, all the resources of the empire must be tilted towards the Kwantung Army, and priority must be given to ensuring the Far East Great War. Shanghai can I can’t care less. If this is the case, will Xu Rui still cause trouble in Shanghai? Does China still want it?"
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