Niitaka Yama Nobore. Son of Heaven Vs Buttsworth

[kaleun]

“So the plan is to encircle each of these guerrilla armies and destroy them. No prisoners taken, no quarter given. After each army is destroyed, we move to the next one. We start with the one SE of Hankow. They are reduced to less than 150 men now. Meanwhile, we move from Hong Kong along the secondary railroad to the intersection between Fuchow and that forest city. Also while one of the Burma divisions waits at Shangai, the Shangai division moves West along the railroad to push the Chinese off the railroad and the road to Nanchang. We move then to the forest city and methodically destroy all of the Chinese in the south”

[kaleun]

What is the Navy doing meanwhile? Ryuji asks.
"The Luzon is being a tougher nut to crack than expected. A new division is sent in from the home defence force, and additional engineers from Samah."


“In Malaya” Ito continues “ The enemy has successfully withdrawn to Johore Bahru and is making a stand there. Kuantan was taken by seaborne assault, unopposed and we believe that Mersing is also unoccupied. Additional sappers are en route from Samah to attack the fortifications at Singapore.”

“How about the SRA?” Ryuji’s concern shows on his voice.

“The admirals will not attack the SRA until Singapore is reduced.”

[kaleun]

Malaya map

[kaleun]

“The admirals are more concerned however with the enemy subs. They are operating all over the China sea, even in the Formosa straits. I’ve heard that the merchant sailors call it ‘Sub alley’”

[kaleun]

“What is being done about this? Ryuju asks.
“A new scheme is now in place. All naval aircraft that can carry depth charges, and are not otherwise tasked, will be conducting ASW patrols full time. Every sub located will then be attacked by dedicated surface ASW forces. We’ll have to see how it goes”

“Any new offensive operations?”

“Yes, we are setting off on the invasion of Mindanao. Davao should be invaded in the next few days. I’m not privy to the details of course”

“Of course” Ryuju concurs

[kaleun]

"By the way Ito" Ryuju continues "Has Nagumo returned yet?"
"He is on his way back. He occassionally finds an enemy and sinks it; most recently, a minelayer, Oglala, near the Aleutians. I wonder what the Americans think he is doing there"

[String]

Very good read, keep it coming

[kaleun]

Thanks. Glad that you like it.

[kaleun]

Showa 16 Month 12 day 29th

Ito, at his desk drinks green tea. Ryuji pores over messages. An orderly knocks on the door and enters.
He stands at attention:

"Sumimasen!" and hands Ito a message flimsy.

"Arigato" Ito takes it and reads it:

[kaleun]

“Manira no Nihon desu”

Ryuji stands and cheers “Manila is ours!”

[kaleun]

Showa 16 Month 12 Day 31st

Hiroshima is decked out to celebrate the New Year. Schoolgirls approach the two young handsome lieutenants:

‘Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu’ wishing them a happy new year.

Even though the celebrations are muted by the long years of war, the girl’s faces are radiant, and their cheeks pink by the December cold.

“kotoshi mo yoroshiku o-negai shimasu” the two young men answer.

“Now that Manila has fallen, Luzon will be ours soon” says Ryuji.

“Iie” answers Ito “The enemy is cunning and had withdrawn most of his troops to the airbase at Clark. From there they can withdraw to prepared positions at Bataan. So long as they hold that peninsula we cannot use the facilities at Manila. If they are well supplied it will be a hard job to get them out of Bataan”

“Kuso!” Answers Ryuji.

Their office is warm, and both men welcome the change from the frigid street. Ryuji picks up the first messages and exclaims:

“Well, the 8th guerrilla corps that was annoying us S of Hankow has finally surrendered. The 6th division also got to Nanchang just in time to repel the next attack by those Chinese mongrels. The city is no longer in peril and can now wait for operation Ooame.”

“Heavy rain? What is that?” Asks Ito.

‘That is the name of the plan to clear the guerrillas out of the occupied China; Nanchang now can wait for Ooame to be completed, without need for further reinforcements”

[kaleun]

“This is interesting, look, one of our submarines I-2 spotted an enemy TF leaving Johnston Is going West! He reports 2 heavy cruisers and one destroyer. He reports being attacked soon afterwards, so we know nothing more.


‘Maybe those are their carriers” Ryuji offers.

“Not likely, they could have their carriers at Johnston to strike at us if we try to attack Baker or Canton, but why move West now?”

[kaleun]

“Not likely, they could have their carriers at Johnston to strike at us if we try to attack Baker or Canton, but why move West now?”

“Well, we are going to attack two new objectives in China, as part of Ooame. These two corps East of Hankow; they are straddling the road, so we’ll be happy to see them

[kaleun]

Ryuji continued “ The second one is further north, near Tsingtao, they have been cutting the railroad for too long too”

[kaleun]

“Nagumo has returned to Osaka” Ito informs his friend. “He has received replacement aircraft and has also changed his Pete scout planes for longer ranged Alfs. After a short shore leave for his men, he shall leave to the south”

“Any idea where?”

“Adm Yamamoto did not share this with me” Ito says. "The allies may be planning something in the Java sea; SS I-22 sunk a minelayer, Kung Wo or something like that, but he also saw a bunch of cruisers apparently."

"That front is sure to heat up soon" Ryuji says.

"You can bet on that" Ito agrees "Tomorrow we land at Davao"

[kaleun]

Showa 17, Month 1 Day 1

The New Year starts cold and sunny, but, aside from a hangover from last night’s celebrations, Ito and Ryuji are back at work. The B17’s continue to attack Hankow at very high altitude. The Oscars cannot climb high enough to reach the four engined bombers; on the other hand, they cannot hit anything from that altitude.

“It scares me to think what could happen if those big bombers attacked our cities in Nihon” Ito said.

“They can’t hit anything from that altitude Ito” Ryuji was confident.

“They can’t hit anything in China Ryuji, but what would happen if one of those bombers passed over one of our cities and dropped phosphorus bombs. Our houses are made of wood and paper”

Ryuji’s eyes opened wide, comprehending “Kuso! That must not be allowed to happen. The Navy must keep them away from the East, and the army from the West”

“We need a fighter that can climb that high” Ito said.

“We do have one” Ryuji smiled mysteriously.

“Nani?” Ito asked

“ I am not supposed to know but, when I went to China for the briefing, I saw the test reports for a new fighter we have down there. The Tojo. We have five of them being tested there. They were used against Hong Kong. They have a maximum altitude of almost 10600 meters. They can reach the bombers”

“Why are we not using them?”

“We are not ready to go into production yet apparently, and the brass refuses to let them be used against the B17s, they do not want the enemy to know their capabilities.”

“That is wise” Ito concluded.

They both returned to their briefings. Ito passed a report on to Ryuji. Those American battleships escaped. They sailed south from Pearl, away from our waiting submarines, then turned north. The Glen floatplanes located them too late for our subs to intercept them. They are now beyond our reach and will arrive in San Francisco in one or two

[kaleun]

“That is too bad.” Ryuji agreed. “Look, here is what is going on in Nangking. The next group of guerrillas are almost encircled. They will be gone soon. Also in Tsingtao, the guerrillas there will be forced to the tip of the peninsula, and we can eliminate them easily.”

“It will be good when we don’t have to worry about them no more” Ito agreed.

[kaleun]

Ryuji continued showing maps of the China situation to his friend. Some of these Ito incorporated on his briefing for the admirals, some he just recorded for his own files.

[kaleun]

“What is important” Ryuji said “Is that we need to finish cleaning up these guerrilla armies before the remainder of the Burma armies are sent south; we are not using them to do battle, but they need to function as garrison troops until some of the maneuvering units can be spared”

[kaleun]

Ito nodded. It would be good, he thought if Luzon was finally cleared, but the enemy was holding out at Clark in strength. It was futile, he knew. Without Manila there would be no further supplies for the enemy, still, it was throwing off the invasion schedule.