flstandardbreds Chapter 155 Decision
Chapter 155 Decision
Indeed, no matter how shamelessly the upper echelons quarrel, what lies behind it is nothing more than the question of who will be in charge between the army and the navy.
The army was of course the most excited, because they had been insisting on marching northwards to compete with the Soviet Union, the big bear, for the vast and sparsely populated Far East.
To this end, the Kwantung Army was ready to dispatch troops northward with the intention of capturing the Khalkha River.
As long as they take over the Mongolian region, they will be able to connect the major regional blocks of Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Northeast China, and Manchukuo into one.
It was like Cao Cao's 800,000 troops attacking Chibi, with their boats linked by iron chains, making it as easy as walking on flat ground.
But the current naval department is extremely conflicted.
Because if they marched north, they would have to become the army's transport convoy again as before.
In this case, they will not be able to achieve enough merit on the battlefield, will be further ignored in the army, and will once again lose a significant share of military spending.
However, unlike the fanaticism of the army, the Japanese navy was slightly more sober.
They knew very well that if they went south instead of north, the enemies they would face would be extremely powerful.
And this strength is not only on land, but also on sea...
Britain, France, the United States...
Just hearing about the maritime strength of these old empires is enough to make people feel cold.
Going to war with these enemies may provide a lot of opportunities to earn merit, but there is also a great chance that they will be deeply trapped and even destroyed.
Regardless of victory or defeat, one thing is absolutely certain: without the navy, the security of the empire will be in jeopardy and the current war will be unsustainable.
Not only that, there is another irrefutable reason for the navy to go south, that is, the navy needs fuel...
Compared to the army, which is a group of barbarians who only know how to rush around.
The navy believes that they are the ones who understand the art of war, and has always hoped to lock down the resources of Southeast Asia through maritime hegemony.
After all, the navy is a walking oil-eating monster that needs fuel supply with every step.
Unlike the army, where you can just grab a gun and go.
But on the other hand, without the navy, the army trapped on the mainland will also lose support from the homeland.
Unfortunately, the giant country of China has been identified as an "oil-poor country" by the people of Standard Oil Company.
They spent countless money and energy digging a thousand-meter-long exploratory hole in Daqing, but still could not find oil.
Therefore, the navy no longer had any illusions about China's resources, and it became inevitable to move southward to the oil-producing countries in Southeast Asia.
But now the information obtained by Minamida Yunko puts the oil on Karafuto Island...
What a wonderful place it is, with a vast territory, sparse population and isolated on the sea.
And most importantly, during the Russo-Japanese War, Russia was defeated and ceded the southern part of Karafuto Island to the Empire. Half of the so-called Sakhalin Island belonged to the Japanese Empire.
Moreover, since obtaining the right to develop the territory, hundreds of thousands of people have been relocated to the island over the years...
The conditions of war had never been so favorable to the Empire.
Even if the army fails to advance northward, the navy can still occupy Karafuto Island by relying on its maritime advantage.
Because of these favorable conditions, the oil exploration team under the Mitsui Zaibatsu had already assembled and headed for Karafuto Island the day after receiving the intelligence...
They planned to secretly go to the northern part of Karafuto Island for investigation with the support of naval vessels according to the latitude and longitude coordinates provided by Minamida Yunko.
Once oil is discovered, the navy will immediately transport two to three divisions of troops to the island to complete the occupation of the entire Karafuto Island.
The headquarters also began to formulate a new operational plan centered on ensuring the safety of Karafuto Island.
Of course, the premise of all this is that there must be oil on Karafuto Island...
Shanghai, Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters.
"General Doi Madoka, it seems that Mrs. Yamamoto is not very welcome to your arrival," Commander of the Central China Expeditionary Force, Nishio Toshiteru, looked at the gloomy-faced Doi Madoka Kenji with a smile.
"I understand Madam's concerns. She always thinks that I am here to check and balance them..." Kenji Doihara sighed silently.
Nishio Toshiteru said calmly: "I heard that the Manchurian Railway's top brass has arrested Honda Gotaro, the chief of staff of the Operations Staff..."
"If this incident is confirmed to be an internal problem of the Kwantung Army, it will be a heavy blow to the Army Department..."
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to take a cold approach, but unfortunately, the Navy will not let go of this opportunity so easily..."
Japan's external forces were divided into five major army groups, namely the First General Army, the Second General Army, the Japanese Southern Army, the Kwantung Army, and the China Expeditionary Army.
The Kwantung Army is known to have the strongest combat effectiveness among the five major armies.
He holds a very important position in the hearts of the imperial soldiers.
It is chilling to think that such a strategic group could be infiltrated by the enemy, and possibly at a high level.
Kenji Doi said calmly: "Someone will naturally investigate the affairs of the Kwantung Army."
"With Yingzuo's ability, he will definitely be able to follow the trail and catch that damn rat..."
"You know, that's not what I'm worried about at all."
"It's Karafuto Island..."
Nishio Hisahito's expression changed slightly: "Why? General Doi-Yuan thinks there is something wrong with this information?"
"The intelligence is fine, but the motivation for spreading it is very problematic."
Kenji Doi said coldly: "I don't believe that no one in the entire empire can see except me that Karafuto Island is a piece of fat meat with a highly poisonous substance. If we want to eat it in one bite, we will have to pay a very huge price."
Nishio Toshizo looked at Doihara calmly and smiled, "You mean that in addition to revealing the information to us, they also accidentally revealed it to the Soviets? They hope that we will have a fierce fight?"
"So, this Shen Shuyi is just a chess piece. Who do you think is playing this game? Boss Dai? Or that person?"
"He is far from that," said Kenji Dobi. "This person is too selfish. He may be good at fighting among himself..."
"The person who designed this plan is very familiar with the current situation of the empire. He knows the empire's current situation and its desire for resources."
"He revealed the intelligence to us so that we could compete more fiercely with the Soviets. It would be best if both sides suffered losses, so that he could reap the benefits..."
Nishio Toshiteru smiled and said, "So, you think the oil on Karafuto Island is actually a bait that forces us to launch an attack and makes it difficult for us to retreat even if we lose on the battlefield."
"It seems that the person behind the scenes you think is really a ruthless character."
"So, what do you want to do now? Give Shen Shuyi some money to get rid of him? Just pretend that this incident never happened?"
"If you really intend to do this, not only the cabinet, but also the senior officials of the Navy and the Army will not agree..."
"After all, it's a plump, flightless roast duck. It's right in front of us. How can we let it go?"
"That's what I'm worried about." Kenji Dobi said in a deep voice, "Everyone thinks this is a fat duck that can't run away."
"We're afraid that we'll choke to death if we eat this duck."
Nishio Toshiteru was stunned for a moment, then he slowly said, "So, General Doi-maru is against us sending troops to Karafuto Island?"
Before Tobiyuan could say anything, there was a crisp knock on the door: "Report to the Commander, the Special High Section Wireless Interrogation Section Colonel Fujiwara Shizuka wants to see you..."