FROM: GEN. HEJIME SUGIYAMA, IJA GENERAL STAFF CHIEF. IGHQ. TOKYO.
TO: GEN. SHUNROKU HATA, CHINA EXPEDITIONARY ARMY CINC. NEAR SIAN.
SUBJECT: CHINA INCIDENT
DATE: APR. 05TH, 1942
IGHQ HAS DRAFTED A PLAN FOR SETTLING THE CHINA INCIDENT.
IF THE OVER-ALL SITUATION PERMITS (ESPECIALLY WHERE THE U.S.S.R IS CONCERNED), JAPAN SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER SUCCESSES IN THE SOURTHERN OPERATIONS TO RESOLVE THE CHINA INCIDENT. IF THE SITUATION DOES NOT WARRANT, HOWEVER, JAPAN SHOULD ENDEVOUR GRADUALLY TO HASTEN THE COLLAPSE OF THE CHIANG REGIME, BY MEANS OF STEADILLY PURSUING CURRENT POLICIES, WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE, FORM THE DIRECTION OF BURMA.
OUTLINE
A. IN COPING WIHT THE CHINA INCIDENT DURING ITS PRESENT STAGE, EMPHASIS SHOULD BE LAID UPON CRUSHING THE CHINESE POWER TO RESIST; WINNING THE CONFIDENCE OF PEOPLES IN THE OCCUPIED REGIONS; AND RESTORING PUBLIC ORDER. THE CHINESE WILL TO FIGHT SHOULD BE DESTROYED THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF STATE OF POLICY AND THE EXERTION OF ECONOMIC PRESSURE. AFTER THE AID-TO CHIANG ROUTE VIA BURMA HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SEALED OFF, PRIORITY SHOULD BE ASSIGNED TO THE ANNIHILATION OF THE HARD CORE OF THE NATIONALIST ARMY NEAR SIAN.
B. THE FOLLOWING MEASSURES SHOULD BE EFFECTED IF AN EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE INCIDENT IS PLANNED.
(1) ESSENTIALS: THE ARMY SHOULD TRANSFER SEVERAL DIVISIONS AND HEAVY ARTILLERY UNITS TO CHINA FROM OTHER FRONTS, AND SHOULD CONDUCT LARGE-SCALE OPERATIONS AIMED AT CHUNGKING ITSELF. IN THAT CASE, THE ULTIMATE OBJETIVE O THE ACTION WOULD BE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NATIONALIST ARMY´S POWER OF RESISTANCE. WE MUST NEVERTHELESS CONTINUE TO INVESTIVATE THE QUESTION OF DECIDING WHERE TO FOCUS OUR MAIN ATTENTION. THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE WHICH MUST RESULTO FOR OCCUPATION OF THE SZCHWAN PLAIN, OR THE ANNIHILATION OF THE NORTHERN ARMIES, WHICH CONSTITUTE THE BACKBONE OF CHINESE POWER TO RESIST.
(2) TIMIG: THE PROPER TIME FOR COMMENCING OPERATIONS WILL OCCUR WHEN THE RESULTS OF THE CUTTING OFF THE AID-TO-CHIANG ROUTE, PLUS THE SUCCESSES IN THE SOUTHERN OPERATIONS, EXERT CRITICAL INFLUENCE UPON CHINA. MOREOVER, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO CONSIDER HOLDING CERTAIN FORCES IN RESERVE AGAINST EVENTUALITIES, WHEN THE SOUTHERN OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO A MOMENTARY HALT. THE SITUATION VERSUS THE SOVIET UNION HAS TO BE COMPLETELY STABILIZED. THE TIME FOR INITIATING OPERATIONS AGAINST CHINA SHOULD THEREFORE NOT BE SET BEFORE JULY 1942 AT THE EARLIEST.
C. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE OBJETIVES OF MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED DURING A SUSTAINED WAR: IN THE OCCUPIED AREAS, EFFORTS MUST BE MADE TO STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURE AND TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC PEACE AND ORDER. IN SO FAR AS THE UNOCCUPIED REGIONS ARE CONCERNED, THE FALL OF THE CHIANG REGIME MUST BE SPURRED, BY ENFORCING INTENSIVE BLOCKING AND CUT-OFF MEASURES. TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC PEACE AND, IN TURN, TO WINT THE PEOPLE´S HEARTS AND STABILIZE THE NATIONAL LIVELIHOOD A "CLEAN-UP" CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE EXECUTED.
ANNEX TO SOUTHERN AREA ARMY CINC TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
1.- AT END OF JAVA CAMPAIGN, XVI and XIV ARMIES ARMOURED UNITS WILL BE TRANSFERED TO CHINA TO LAUNCH A DIVERTIONARY ATTACK IN THE SOUTH TO CAPTURE LIUCHOW AND THREAT ENEMY SOUTHERN APPROACHES TO CHANGCHA.
ANNEX TO KWANTUNG AREA ARMY CINC TO BE ACCOMPLISED
2.- SEVERAL ARMOURED AND HEAVY ARTILLERY UNITS WILL BE GATHERED AT JEHOL TO BE TRANSFERED TO NORHTERN CHINA AREA ARMY TO JOIN WITH FRONT LINE ELEMENTS NEARBY TO SIAN.
ANNEX TO 1ST AIR DIVISION CINC, HOMELAND
3.- KI-21-IC BOMBERS UNIT RAISED AT HOMELAND WILL BE TRANSFERED AT ONCE TO CHINA 1ST AIR DIVISION DETACHMENT TO BE ATTACHED TO ICHANG SPECIAL IJAAF EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
ANNEX TO IJAAF ICHANG EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
4.- ALL YOUR WAR EFFORTS WILL BE IN THE WAY TO DESTROY ENEMY AIR FACILITIES. YOUR AIR SUPREMACY MUST BE ABSOLUTE IN TWO MONTHS. CHANGSHA, SIAN AND CHUNGKING ITSELF MUST BE YOUR PRIORITARY TARGETS.
ANNEX TO 1ST FLEET CINC, KURE.
5.- SUPREME WAR COUNCIL WILL ORDER TO ADM NAGANO TO SENT PRIORITARY SUPPLY WAR CONVOYS TO CHINA EXPEDITIONARY ARMY LIKE FOLLOWING:
TWO CONVOYS FROM PORT ARTHUR TO TIENTSING MONTHLY WITH NO LESS THAN 60.000 TONS OF WAR SUPPLIES EACH.
FOUR CONVOYS FROM KURE TO SHANGHAI MONTHLY WITH NO LESS THAN 15.000 TONS OF WAR SUPPLIES EACH.
TOTAL EXTRA WAR SUPPLIES PLANNED TO CHINA FRONT : 180.000 TONS/month.
CONVOYS WILL BE WORKING THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS (FROM APR.42 TO JULY.42) WHEN THE MAIN OFFENSIVE WILL BEGIN.
ACKNOWLEDGE REQUESTED /
TOP SECRET. EYES ONLY /
END //
