Ryukyu, Tianjiushan Hot Spring Palace.
After meeting with Ogawara Shunsi at the Army Headquarters, Kanin Miya Zaihito immediately took a special plane to Ryukyu with the battle plan for the Third Songhu Battle drawn up by the Warfare Section. After arriving at Ryukyu Airport, he had already arrived at the Ryukyu Airport. There is a special car waiting, and then you take the special car straight to Tianjiushan Hot Spring Palace, which is the villa of the Japanese royal family.
When Kanin Gong Zaihito saw Hirohito, Hirohito was lying on a lounge chair next to the hot spring, being massaged by a plump and charming female technician.
I haven't seen him in nearly half a month, and Hirohito's complexion has improved a lot.
Obviously, after leaving Tokyo and staying away from the worries of many state affairs, Hirohito finally had a chance to rest, and his body quickly recovered as before. After all, Hirohito has just turned thirty-eight now, and he is still alive at the age of forty. No, it is the time when vitality is most vigorous in life, and it can be restored with a little care.
Seeing Kanin Gong Zaihi approaching, Hirohito waved his hand, and the plump female technician bowed down and stepped back. Hirohito grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around his waist, then sat up and talked to Kanin Gong Zaihi. Greeting: "Uncle Emperor, why are you here here at Tianjiushan Hot Spring Palace when you are not in charge of the Army Headquarters in Tokyo?"
"Hai." Xianyuan Gong Zairen paused first, and then said, "The Army Headquarters has just drafted a combat plan for the third Songhu Battle, and I respectfully request your Majesty's sanction."
"The Third Battle of Songhu?" Hirohito frowned slightly and asked, "What about the Second Battle of Songhu? I remember that the 20th Division seemed to have gone to Shanghai first. How was the battle?" Here, Hirohito suddenly waved his hand and said, "Just by looking at your face, Uncle Emperor, I know that you must have lost the battle."
"Hai." Xianyuan Gong Zairen said again, "We have indeed lost."
Hirohito snorted softly and asked again: "And he lost miserably, right?"
"Hai." Xianyuan Gong Zairen paused for the third time, and then said with a face full of shame, "I have failed to live up to His Majesty's expectations, and His Majesty will punish me."
"That's all." Hirohito waved his hand and said calmly, "I have been mentally prepared for this."
After finishing speaking, Hirohito stretched out his hand and said: "Uncle Emperor, bring me the plan."
"Hai!" Hanyuan Gong Zairen gave a heavy meal, and then handed over the folder he was holding. Hirohito reached out to take it, then opened the folder and read it very seriously.
After watching it for half an hour, Hirohito finally finished reading it all.
After closing his eyes and thinking for a while, Hirohito suddenly opened his eyes and asked: "Uncle Emperor, have you ever thought about it? If I approve this plan and send the Guards Division to the Songhu battlefield, it will almost risk the Japanese royal family's face." If we go up, it will be fine if we win, but if we lose in the end, the royal family will lose face!"
"Hai!" Xianyuan Gongzai Renton said, "But I think I will never lose this time."
"Really? Is the emperor so confident?" Hirohito shook his head and said leisurely, "I don't have much confidence."
Xianyuan Gong Zairen explained: "Your Majesty, regarding the failure of the Second Battle of Songhu, the Army Headquarters has made a profound and detailed summary of the defeat. The veteran has read this summary of the defeat, and it can be said that the analysis is very objective. , fully displaying the advantages and disadvantages of the two armies as well as the gains and losses of their respective tactics... "
Before he finished speaking, Hanin Gong Zaihi was interrupted by Hirohito.
Hirohito waved his hand and said: "Uncle Imperial, there is no need to explain. I don't disagree. I know how difficult the empire's current finances are, even if you don't tell me. With the empire's current national strength, although it can still mobilize ten divisions Go to the front line, but these ten divisions are prepared for the decisive battle of the Far East Battle and must not be moved lightly."
After a slight pause, Hirohito continued: "Therefore, the only way is to transfer the Guards Division to Shanghai. The reason why I just said this is just to remind the emperor's uncle, and at the same time, I hope that the emperor's uncle will tell Tojo-kun and return it. With Lord Itagaki, there is no room for failure in this third Battle of Songhu! Otherwise, the royal family’s face will be lost.”
"Hai!" Xianyuan Gong Zai Renton said, "I understand."
"Go." Hirohito waved his hand and closed his eyes again.
Xianyuan Gong Zairen bowed deeply and then retreated.
(Dividing line)
Meanwhile, in the Port of Tokyo.
Although the combat plan has not yet been approved by Hirohito, both Kanin Miya Zaihito and Tojo Hideki are full of confidence in it. Therefore, although he has not yet been formally appointed, Itagaki Seishiro is already near Tokyo Port. A navy camp was borrowed to set up the temporary headquarters of the Twelfth Army.
At present, the temporary headquarters of the Twelfth Army only has one function, which is to coordinate with the navy to allocate as much transport capacity as possible, and transport the Guards Division and the Seventh Division to the Jiangyin Fortress at one time. Jiangyin, this time Itagaki Seishiro did not plan to seize the beach in the Lion Forest, but planned to board the 6th from the Jiangyin Fortress.
Since the Chief of Staff of the Twelfth Army has not yet taken up his post, Junsi Ogawahara serves as the Chief of Staff on a temporary basis.
Although he has not arrived in Shanghai yet, Seishiro Itagaki has quickly entered the role and begun to plan for the upcoming third Songhu Battle. Although the combat section of the 6th Army Headquarters has formulated a combat plan, it is only a guidance. The general plan and the specific implementation of the campaign still have to be formulated by Itagaki Seishiro.
In the war room, Itagaki Seishiro was working on the map, and Okahara Junsi suddenly came in with a telegram.
"Your Excellency, Commander!" Ogawara Junsi stood up sharply, and then said, "I just received a telegram from His Royal Highness Prince Kaningu from Ryukyu. His Majesty the Emperor has approved the battle plan formulated by the 6th Military Headquarters. Regarding your The appointment as commander of the Twelfth Army has also been announced.”
Itagaki Seishiro waved his hand and said, "I understand."
Okahara Junsi closed the telegram folder and handed it to the orderly beside him. Then he slowly walked to stand behind Itagaki Seishiro and watched Itagaki Seishiro working on the picture. None of Japan's senior generals The exceptions are all graduates from the Military University of the People's Liberation Army, and they all have excellent drawing skills.
Itagaki Seishiro suddenly looked back at Ogahara Junsi and said: "Ogahara-kun, I forgot that you are not only an outstanding special forces commander, but also an elite who combines the military thoughts and military theories of Japan and Germany. , do you have any good suggestions for me about the third Battle of Songhu?"
Oluhara Junsi waved his hand and said: "How dare you show your embarrassment in front of your Excellency the Commander in your humble position."
Itagaki Seishiro snorted and said, "Okahara-kun, you don't behave like an imperial man, but rather like a smooth and sophisticated Chinese man."
"Hai." Oluhara Shusitun said, "In this case, I will be able to speak directly."
"This is like an emperor." Itagaki Seishiro smiled, stretched out his hand and said, "Please tell me."
Oluhara Junsi nodded slightly, and then said: "There is an old saying in China that before the troops and horses move, food and grass go first. It means that if you want to win a war, you must have food and grass supply. If the food and grass supply is interrupted, the army will It will collapse without a fight. Looking at the ancient and modern war history between China and Japan, it can be said that there are countless examples of such wars."
Itagaki Seishiro said: "Oluhara-kun, do you mean to cut off Xu Rui's food route?"
"Hai!" Oluhara Junsi paused and said, "As long as the food supply to Xu Rui's troops is cut off, Xu Rui's troops will be defeated without a fight in three days, and the imperial army will be able to take back Shanghai without any effort. .”
"Cut off Xu Rui's food supply? I'm afraid it won't be easy." Seishiro Itagaki shook his head and said, "Intelligence shows that before the second Songhu Battle, Xu Rui purchased hundreds of millions of dollars from Nanyang through Yu Qiaqing, a wealthy merchant in Shanghai. Ten thousand stones of rice, with so much food in hand, Xu Rui’s troops will not have to worry about food shortages for decades!”
Itagaki Seishiro originally thought that cutting off the grain supply would cut off Xu Rui's channels for buying grain, but it was useless.
"That's not necessarily the case." Oluhara Junsi shook his head and said, "What if this batch of food was suddenly burned by a fire?"
"Burned by the fire?" Itagaki Seishiro was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then said happily, "Oluhara-kun, do you mean that your special operations brigade will conduct a raid on the granary of the Songhu Military Division?"
"Hai." Ogawara Junsi gave a heavy meal and then said, "Your Excellency, Commander, it will take at least a week for the Guards Division to complete its assembly. At least within these seven days, Your Excellency, Commander, and the close The division headquarters of the Guard Division is safe, so our special operations brigade can take this opportunity to raid the granary used to store grain in the Songhu Military Division. It would be good if we could burn all the grain reserves in one fell swoop, but since Even if you only burn part of it, you can shake up the opponent's military morale."
"But..." Seishiro Itagaki frowned and said, "After the failure of the Second Battle of Songhu, the Nakamura Agency has been taken over by Xu Rui's troops, and the imperial army's intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities in Shanghai have suffered a devastating blow, so now, we must It is not easy to investigate the location of the granary of the Songhu Military Division."
Oluhara Junsi said calmly: "There is a way to solve this humble position."
"Yo Xi." Itagaki Seishiro said happily after hearing this, "In this case, it is indeed worth trying."
Ogawara Junsi continued: "If the commander agrees to this plan, I would like to lead the special operations brigade to Shanghai today."
Itagaki Seishiro said in surprise: "There's no need to be in such a hurry."
But Oluhara Junsi insisted: "Your Excellency, Commander, you are a god of war."
"Hey!" Itagaki Seishiro nodded happily and said, "In this case, I will contact the Navy and ask them to secondment four Douglas III transport aircraft. You will take the Navy's transport aircraft to Shanghai tonight. If everything goes well, tomorrow You can land at Suzhou Military Airport before dawn."