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version HOI3:SF v2.0 (NNTI) now (HQXP)

This AAR is oriented around the historical vitriolic rivalry between the IJA and IJN and the power plays between and within both services as Japan aspires to a Greater Empire.


Table of Contents:

Volume 1: Shina Jihen - 1936 to 1938
April 29th 1936
New Beginnings on the Emperor's Birthday - Military Reorganization and the China Buildup[
June 1936
Domestic Reports
Strategic Appreciation
September 1936
Domestic Reports
December 1936
The Hirota Affair
The Motor Corps Deploys
IJA Operational Plan Ryuudai
May 1937
A Tumultuous Emperor's Birthday Month
Intelligence Update
July 1937
Provocations deferred, A new, old Minister of War, the politics of IJN Operation "AC"
October 1937
The Calm Before the Storm
Operation Ryuudai - October 1st to 15th, 1937
The Leting Pocket, 3rd Corps at the Great Wall, The Supply Woes of 3rd Corps, Desperate stalling attacks by Chicoms and KMT, Fall of the Leting Pocket
Political and Domestic Interlude
Operation Ryuudai - October 16th to 25th, 1937
Progress of "AC" - Part 1, Fall of Beijing, 1st Army plans an encirclement, Inner Mongolian inroads, Battle of Laiyuan begins, Taskforce AF2's special mission, Last full measure of Shanxi at Togtoh
Operation Ryuudai - October 25th to 31st, 1937
Shanxi submits to annexation, Progress of "AC" - Part 2, 6th Corps holds on to the Togtoh saliant, Battle of Laiyuan continues, A grand encirclement is conceived, Dagu is cut out, Pincers close in the center, Siege of Dagu begins
November 1937
Operation Ryuudai progress to date & the Mystery of the Missing Division
Operation Ryuudai : Battle of the Shanyin Gap - November 1st to 7th, 1937
Operation Ryuudai : The Fall of Dagu - November 1st to 12th, 1937
Operation Ryuudai : Anchoring the Right Flank in the Great Blue Mountains, October 30th to November 7th, 1937
Operation Ryuudai: Crushing the Liangcheng Pocket, Nov 7th to 12th, 1937
Battle off Liaotishan Point, November 12th, 1937
Operation Ryuudai : The Chinese defense of the Ordos Loop - November 12th to 20th, 1937
Operation Ryuudai: The Ryuma Tsumi Maneuver, Part 1 - November 12th to 30th, 1937
December 1937
Operation Ryuudai: North China Overview
Operation Ryuudai: The Ryuma Tsumi Maneuver, Part 2; Closing the Lingshan Pocket - December 1st to 11th, 1937
1st Army: Arriving at the breaking point, December 9th to 30th, 1937
January 1938
On the trail of the missing division mystery
The Dragon Strikes Back, January 8th to 13th, 1938
The recent history of Project G
Operation G : January 1st to 26th, 1938
The Emperor Commands
Battles of Yangquan and Hengshui: Straightening the Line, January 15th to 22nd, 1938
February 1938
Operation G: The benefits of training, February 1st to 15th, 1938 Guangxi Falls
Operation Akako: Eliminating the Red Menace, 1st to 20th February, 1938 A new "Long March" begins...
Fifth Corps: Tallyho! - free chase into Northwest China opens February 20th and 21st, 1938
SLF: Adachi's rearguard, covering the 48th - February 21st to 28th, 1938
Tojo in Crisis: Battle of Haixing - February 27th & 28th, 1938
March 1938
Drama on the Pearl River - March 1st, 1938
Info Update: Supply Summary
Info Update: Production and Equipment Summary
Info Update: Diplomacy, Politics, Intelligence
Tojo in Crisis: Battle of Haixing - March 1st & 2nd, 1938
Jin River Valley : Great Wall Approaches - March 1st to 8th, 1938
Expanding the Yokaren
Retreat from the Pearl River - March 6th to 20th, 1938
Jin River Valley : Taking the valley - March 13th to 19th, 1938
Pincer in the Center, Part 1 - March 19th to 25th, 1938
Organizing the China Expeditionary Army
Pincer in the Center, Part 2 - March 26th to 31st, 1938
April 1938
Status Update : War in China
Yushi's Port
Pincer in the Center, Part 3 - April 1st to 10th, 1938
Campaign against the Ma Clique - April 3rd to 10th, 1938
CEA Overview and Supply Status
Pincer in the Center, Part 4 - April 11th to 16th, 1938
The Scapegoat Minister
The Ki-44, a look at Germany, Mitsui zaibatsu ascendant
IJA Operational Plan Kuro
Securing the Weii River - April 18th to 22nd, 1938
Operation Kuro - April 20th to 30th, 1938
May 1938
Operation Kuro - May 1st to 7th, 1938
Central China - May 3rd to 10th, 1938
Operation Kuro - May 11th to 19th, 1938
IGHQ Liaison Committee - May 16th, 1938
Operation Gotu, the planned isolation of Nanjing - May 20th to 26th, 1938
Operation Kuro progress, Ando at Golmud, Oil and Diplomacy
June 1938
Status Update : War in China
Operation Kuro - June 1st to 10th, 1938
Campaign in the West
Operation Gotu - June 6th to 14th, 1938
Operation Kuro - June 14th to 18th, 1938
Moving on the Yangtzee
July 1938
Operation Kuro - July 1st to 10th, 1938
IJA Operational Plan Aki
Operation Aki - July 3rd to 19th, 1938
Campaign in the West
Operation Aki - July 23rd to 31st, 1938
August 1938
A Workers Revolt
Operation Aki - 3rd to 11th August, 1938
The Wages of Sin
Operation Aki - August 14th to 25th, 1938
Nezha's Organs
The end of the China War

Volume 2: Dai Tō-A Sensō - 1938 to 1944
November 1938
Coming Home
March 1939
News from Europe
April 1939
Pact of Steel, Stealing the Government Sumitomo zaibatsu takes charge
May 1939
Revolting Development
August 1939
War in the West
September 1939
Germany Marches On
October 1939
European War comes to Asia
November 1939
Total War
December 1939
Winterkrieg
South China Sea operations, December 1st to 18th, 1939
Sunk Ships List
Operation R - December 19th to 31st, 1939
January 1940
War in the West - January 1st to 26th, 1940
Operation R - January 1st to 22nd, 1940
The Vichy Government
February 1940
Burma Operations - February
March 1940
North Burma Operations - March 1st to 16th, 1940
South Burma Operations - March 18th to 29th, 1940
North Burma Operations - March 21st to 31st, 1940
April 1940
North Burma Operations - April 1st to 24th, 1940
The war widens in Europe
May 1940
Operation "RC"
June 1940
India Operations - The Bengal and Imphal Pockets
European Events
July 1940
India Operations - The Imphal Pocket
More European Events
August 1940
What Optimists Hope, India - August 1st to 6th, 1940
European Update - August 7th, 1940
India Expeditionary Army Organizes - August 7th, 1940
Battle of Phuket - August 7th to 10th, 1940
Exile of Bhutan - August 14th to 19th, 1940
IGHQ Liaison Meeting - August
European Update - August 24th, 1940
Air Raid at Nicobar - August 31st, 1940
September 1940
India and Burma - September 1st to 16th, 1940
Operation Kojou - September 17th to 22nd, 1940
India and Burma - September 19th to 23rd, 1940
Greece and Egypt - late September 1940
October, November, & December 1940
Inconclusiveness & 1st Army begins deploying - October 6th to 24th, 1940
India - 27th October to 17th November, 1940
Battle of the Malacca Strait - 1st November, 1940
Operation Kojou - October 30th to November 29th, 1940
North Africa - December 1940
Operation Kojou - December 7th to 19th, 1940
January 1941
Operation "A": Battles of the Andaman Islands - January 9th to 20th, 1941
The Bear Stirs and other news
India : Operation "MA", a port too far - January 23rd to 31st, 1941
February 1941
India : The Empire Strikes Back
Battle of the Cormandel Coast - February 2nd, 1941
British Counter-Offensive builds Momentum
March 1941
India - March 1st to 15th, 1941
Battle of Tanjung Jambuair - March 27th to 28th, 1941
April 1941
India Debacle - April 7th to 22nd, 1941
Gulf of Mannar Battle - April 27th, 1941
India Debacle - April 27th to 30th, 1941
May 1941
Out of India - May 1st to 10th, 1941
Bay of Bengal Battle - May 10th to 11th, 1941
May IGHQ Liaison Meeting
Battle of Colombo - May 22nd to 23rd, 1941
June 1941 - during June the IJA/IJN and the Allies both took a breather
July 1941
Battle of Barren Island - July 6th, 1941
Battle of Convoy KR-1 - July 13, 1941
Battle of the Nicobar Islands - July 14th, 1941
Battle of the Andaman Sea - July 21st to 22nd, 1941 - KG V stands alone
7th Corps crosses the Kra Isthmus
August 1941
The inscrutable European Axis powers
Action off the Similan Islands - August 16th to 20th, 1941
We are not gone from Burma
Battle of the Martaban Gulf - August 27th to 28th, 1941
September 1941
The Giant Awakes
Battle of Investigator Channel - 23rd to 24th September, 1941
Battle of Moulmein - 24th to 26th September, 1941
Second Luzon Beachhead - 26th September, 1941
Second Similan Island Action - 27th September, 1941
Carrier Strike off Palmyras Point - 29th September, 1941
Operational Plan "Kanpuu" - The Return to India
October 1941
Bombing of Rangoon - September 30th to October 4th, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Jishin Landings - October 4th, 1941
Luzon Operations - 4th to 6th October, 1941
Great Andaman Sea Battle, Part 1 - October 5th to 6th, 1941
Marianas Submarine Shoot - October 6th, 1941
Great Andaman Sea Battle, Part 2 - October 6th to 8th, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Jishin Landing - 8th to 10th October, 1941
Great Andaman Sea Battle, Part 3 - October 8th, 1941
Invasion of Guam, 10th to 17th October, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Kaminari Landing - 13th to 16th October, 1941
Italian Progress in the Middle East
Battle of Babelthuap - October 18, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Oyaji Force Progress
Operation Kanpuu : Kaji Landing - 23rd to 24th October, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Kaminari Landing - 24th October, 1941
1st Battle of Wake Island - October 30th, 1941
November 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Oyaji Force Progress - November 1st to 15th, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Kaminari Landing - November 1st to 4th, 1941
K-A-M-I-O Flag Battle - November 7th, 1941
Luzon Progress through November 8th, 1941
More German Tourists, the Aussies pitch in
Battle of Ceylon - November 17th to 18th, 1941
A not unexpected development...
Operation Kanpuu : Battle of Bombay, Part 1 - November 20th to 26th, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Battle of Bombay, Part 2 - November 20th to 26th, 1941
Operation Kanpuu : Oyaji Force Progress - November 26th, 1941
Kwantung Theater Defenses
Stern Chase of HMS Ceres - November 28th, 1941
December 1941
Updates from around the Fronts
Operation Kanpuu : Oyaji Force Progress - December 4th to 9th, 1941
Sea of Japan Battles - December 9th to 13th, 1941
Burma and Manchuria Updates
Palmyras Point - December 24th to 26th, 1941
January 1942
Battle of Okushirishima - January 1st to 2nd, 1942
2nd Battle of Wake Island - January 8th, 1942
India Overview - KM sighted off Ceylon
Capture of Chittagong - January 22nd to 24th, 1942
Battle of Sundarbans Delta - January 24th to 25th, 1942
February 1942
Burma - 26th January to 12th February, 1942
Western India - 9th to 14th February, 1942
Eastern Front Update
3rd Battle of Wake Island - February 14th, 1942
Bhutan - February 28th, 1942
March 1942
Battle of the Northern Kuriles - March 5th to 7th, 1942
Battle of Saipan - March 13th to 14th, 1942
Battle of Iwo Jima - March 16th to 18th, 1942
Eastern Front Update
April 1942
Operational Plan Kusarigama
Operation Kusarigama - 9th to 18th April, 1942
East India Operations
Operation Kusarigama - 19th to 26th April, 1942
Eastern Front Update
May 1942
Fall of Vladivostok and Karachi
2nd Battle of Iwo Jima - 5th to 8th May, 1942
India Overview
Sunk Ships List
Battle of Hollandia - 10th to 12th May, 1942
June 1942
West India - 9th to 12th June, 1942
3rd Iwo Jima Battle - 16th to 18th June, 1942
Battle of the Urgal Pocket - 17th to 23rd June, 1942
Eastern Front Update
July 1942
2nd Hollandia Battle - 9th to 10th July, 1942
2nd Saipan Battle - 11th to 15th July, 1942
Siberia, India, and Eastern Front Overall Pictures
August 1942
4th Battle of Iwo Jima - 14th to 16th August, 1942
Asia Overall View
3rd Hollandia Battle - August 27th to 29th, 1942
September 1942
Battle of Okha - September 1st, 1942
Sakhalin Operations - September 10th to 20th, 1942
British Last Stand in North India; Cavalry Corps takes Mongolia
October 1942
Battle of Cape Elisabeth - 6th to 7th October, 1942
Eastern Front Update
November 1942
Operation Daisetsu - The invasion of Afghanistan
Domestic Update
December 1942
Operation Daisetsu and Far East update
January & February 1943
ASW & Bitter Peace
March 1943
Building the Plant & Saudi Progress
April, May, June 1943
Operation "S" - The invasion of Australia
July 1943
Operation Setsuzoku - The invasion of Persia
Operation "S" Update
August 1943
New Pride of the Fleet and a brutally quick naval battle...
The end of Operation Setsuzoku
September 1943
Operation "S" Update and Arabian Peninsula unification
October 1943
5th Battle of Iwo Jima - 15th to 16th October, 1943
November 1943
Battle of Eighty-Mile Beach - November 4th, 1943
4th Wake Island Battle - November 25th, 1943
Great Works of the Empire
December 1943
Battle of Eniwetok - 16th to 17th December, 1943
Sealion Status
6th Iwo Jima Battle - 24th to 26th December, 1943 - Amagi is sunk
Operation "S" Status
January 1944
Sealion Update
Cape Bougainville Battle - 27th to 29th January, 1944
Operation "S" - Third Army at Townsville & Cairns


Volume 3: Taiheiyō Sensō - 1944 to 1947
February & March 1944
Wondrous News, Wondrous Weapons
Third Army - Australia and New Zealand mop up
June 1944
The "Old Breed" at Port Moresby - June 1944
August 1944
1st Battle of Kwajalein - Kaga is sunk
September 1944
2nd Kwajalein Battle - 11th to 14th September, 1944
Wewak Attack
November 1944
Battle of the Marshall Islands, Phase 1 - 19th to 23rd November, 1944
Battle of the Marshall Islands, Phase 2 - November 23rd to 27th, 1944
June 1945
Battle of San Cristobal Island - 14th to 15th June, 1945
July 1945
Battle of Palau - July 5th to 7th, 1945
Third Kwajalein Battle - July 14th to 17th, 1945
September 1945
2nd Palau Battle - September 22nd to 23rd, 1945
October 1945
Battle of the Admiralties - 8th to 10th October, 1945
Technology Tidbit
Battle of Manus Approaches - 13th to 14th October, 1945
Adolf Hitler Declares "Axis Triumphant"
February 1946
Battle of Kossol Passage - February 12th to 13th, 1946
August 1946
Battle of Ngemlis Islands - 10th to 12th August, 1946 - Zuikaku is sunk
September 1946
Battle of Ngeaur Island - 13th September, 1946
Admiralty Island Landings - September 13th, 1946
December 1946
2nd Battle of Babelthuap - 23rd to 24th December, 1946
Admiralty Island Landings - December 27th, 1946
February 1947
Battle of Marcus Island - 23rd February, 1947
March 1947
Battle of Peleliu - March 19th to 20th, 1947
April 1947
The Fall of the "Gibraltar of the Pacific" - 15th to 25th April, 1947
May 1947
Wake, Midway, Hawaii
August 1947
Johnston Island Campaign
September 1947
Christmas, Phoenix, Tarawa
October/ November 1947
Fongafale, Fiji, Samoa
 
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Volume 4: Afurika Sensō - 1948 to 1949
January 1948
ASW action in the Straight of Hormuz
February/March 1948
Channel Islands Raid - 27th February to 14th March, 1948
Poland rises again in Africa
Soryu called the most revered ship in the Fleet
A Most Amenable Coup
Technical Update
Geopolitical Update
USMC's Norwegian Adventures
May/June 1948
The Africa Commitment
Naval Skirmishes along the Horn of Africa - 16th to 18th June, 1948
Occupying the Big Island and Conciliation from Portugal
Battle in the Gulf of Aden - 19th to 23rd June 1948
Tojo's progress in Central Africa
July 1948
Battle of the Somalia Coast - July 5th to 15th, 1948
Operation "BG" - The IJN's (secret) bold plan
August 1948
Battle of Leopoldville - 10th to 25th of August, 1948
Battle of Socotra - 25th to 27th August, 1948
September 1948
Collapse of Belgium - Tojo Advances
8th Corps lands on the beaches of Natal
Treachery Afoot!
October 1948
The Capetown Spartans
Last stand of the "Black Cats" of Johannesburg
November 1948
Venezuela joins the Axis!
Road to Capetown (1948)
December 1948
South African Endgame
Venezuela, East Africa, and a "new" South Africa?
January 1949
Venezuelan Winter Vacation
The Imperial Guards Corps
February 1948
The End of Venezuela
Children of Twilight - India Rising
March 1949
General Ichiki's False Start
Fall of Point Noir
Treachery Found!
Meeting Dr. Schweitzer
April 1949
Battling towards Bata
May/June 1949
Operation "N"
Battle of Purple Heart Lane & Bloody Falls
Yamamoto's Opening Gambit
Battle of Ascension
Monrovia's place in History
July/August 1949
Battle of Grid 28N
Battle of the Plata
Battle of Blanco Encalada
Liberia Stands
Nigeria Mop Up
2nd Battle of Ascension Island
September 1949
Liberia Falls

Volume 5: Nanbei Sensō - 1949 to
November 1949
Operation A


==================================================

Titles and HOI Political Screen Equivalents
(Explanatory post regarding titles/positions)
 
Last edited:
April 29th, 1936 -- New Beginnings on the Emperor's Birthday


On the occasion of the Emperor's birthday the Imperial General Staff presents their reports and recommendations on the empire's status.

They begin with the domestic situation. Just two months previously a coup was aborted (assume historical 2-26 Coup events occured), the domestic result of this was some reshuffling of cabinet positions.

9sgdom.jpg


In the wake of the coup attempt, it was felt that an iron hand was needed to insure that support for the current regime would be reinforced. The man with the proper requirements was found in General Fujie Keisuke, who was immediately called from his position as Commander of the Kempeitai of the Japanese Army in Manchuria. Since that time General Keisuke has undertaken the amalgamation of the Kempeitai and civil police.

A politically reliable armaments minister was chosen in Shoda Kazue who had been instrumental in delivering concessions from China when he was head of the Bank of Korea, an experience and skill set that was felt could be called upon again as Japan moved to seek concessions on North China.

The Imperial General Staff itself was consolidated in two actors, one for Naval and Aviation and the other for Army Operations. The first position combined the Minister of the Navy with the Chief of the Navy General Staff and was filled with the much respected Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku; the latter position combined the Minister of War with the Chief of the Army General Staff, and was occupied by the sitting Chief of the Army General Staff, General Prince Kanin Kotohito.

Finally on the policy front, to encourage service to the Emperor the period of Conscription was announced today to be increased to three years.

dzxvlj.jpg



On the Diplomatic front both the Germans and Soviets have undertaken efforts to influence our alignment towards both of them. Our intelligence services have changed their emphasis on infiltrating the powers on the Pacific Rim...the US, UK, USSR, and the Nationalist Chinese regime. Of secondary interest are France, Mao's insurgency in China, and the warlords of Yunnan and Guangxi. Of lessor interest are Xibei San Ma, Sinkiang, Siam, Philippines, Mongolia, and our friends in Manchuko.


Technical and Production Summary

rldd8g.jpg


Technical advancement has been placed in the direction of improving the infantry capabilities of the Army, including the eventual establishment of a motorized corps for operational exploitation.

Military theory is also addressed amongst the Army Staff. The deep thinkers have arrived at the belief that the French concept of "Cran" which was so disastrously disproved in the first month of the Great War was missing a key component: the ability to maneuver and exploit. As such they have placed doctrinal emphasis on speed of attack, shock and prompt counter-attacks of enemy advances. Divisional organization and quick reorganization for continued attacks are also determined to be key aspects of the new doctrine. On the practical side, the Army is calling for the training of a large mechanized force, named the Motor Corps, which would serve as the spearhead element of the new doctrine.

The Navy's commitment to carrier technology continues, as is the development of battleship armaments. Aircraft are also of interest, the Type 95 (Ki-10) has become the workhorse interceptor of the Army, however it's competitor (the Nakajima Ki-11) peaked some interest. A requirement has been issued for an upgrade to the Type 95 in the form of a longer ranged, metal skinned monoplane.

Incentives have also been issued for an increase in civilian Industrial Production.

9905eg.jpg


Five brigades of Type 92 tanks and twelve brigades of motorized troops have been ordered to form the mobile corps, the first armored brigade will replace the Guards Artillery, the Imperial Guards to become part of that corps. The Minister of War / CoAGS General Prince Kanin stonewalls the Navy's desire for equality in procurement to insure that the Motor Corps gets top production priority.


Military Reorganization and the China Buildup

IGHQ has determined that the present chaotic situation in China is a prime opportunity to expand the imperial sphere of influence. Given the overtures of the Soviets it is felt that a repositioning of IJA assets in Manchuria is a strategically safe move. The IJA leaves the northern Manchurian marches to be guarded by the puppet forces, shifting all the striking power south to the border with Shanxi. In addition, security police and garrison troops are added to the IJA's Korean Army. Japan also takes over security of the port of Dandong to insure the naval and overland lines of communications between the Korean Army and the theater command at Dalian.

The former North China Army is reorganized into Army Group "A" under Field Marshall Yuhi, with two planned Armies, 1st and 2nd. However, the 2nd Army does not yet exist; the 1st Army is commanded by General Hata.

1st Army is composed of five corps, numbered 1 to 4 and the Cavalry Corps.

1st Corps (LGEN T. Nishio) 15 infantry brigades organized into 5 divisions.
2nd Corps (LGEN Tojo) 14 infantry, 1 artillery, and 1 engineer brigades organized into 5 divisions.
3rd Corps (LGEN R. Ando) 16 infantry brigades in 5 divisions.
4th Corps (LGEN Asaka) 6 infantry brigades in 2 divisions.
Cavalry Corps (LGEN Yamada) 12 cavalry brigades in 3 divisions.

nwac01.jpg

Army Group A along the Chinese Border on the Emperor's Birthday, 1936.

IJAA at Dalian is composed of five squadrons of Ki-21's under LGEN Watanabe with a squadron of Ki-10's under MGEN Kusaka. Two more squadrons of Ki-10's at Harbin are to be brought down to Dalian and formed into a wing under Kusaka.


In the Home Islands the port of Nagoya has been identified as the embarkation point for overseas troop deployments. The IJA 5th Corps under LGEN Ishiwara awaits deployment to Dalian and will form the beginnings of the 2nd Army in China. 5th Corps is composed of 12 infantry brigades organized into 4 divisions, the Imperial Guards artillery will be shifted to one of the 5th Corps divisions when the 1st Guards Light Armor completes fitting out.

In Tokyo the embryonic HQ of the Motor Corps (LGEN Nishihara) with it's subsidiary Imperial Guards division (MGEN S. Ando) await filling out of their formation from the factories and training grounds.

Field Marshall Tada serves as the Operations Officer of the IGHQ, the Home Islands Army is headed by GEN Kano, the Korean Army is headed by GEN Araki, the Kwantung Theater is commanded by Field Marshall J. Nishio.

2 squadrons of G3M's and 1 squadron of Ki-10's under MGEN's Shima and Umazu respectively are at Tokyo.

The remainder of the IJA forces are allocated to garrisons from Formosa to the Marshall Islands.


The IJN is organized along peace-time administrative lines. The flagship fleet is the Main Battle Fleet homeported in Tokyo (VADM Ozawa) with the fleet flagship, the BC Kongo present along with the newest BB's Mutsu and Nagato, also of note is the small carrier Zuiho for scouting; filling out the Main Battle Fleet is the BC Hiei and the CA Kinugasa with 9 Kuma-class LC and 3 Minekaze-class DD.

Admiral Yamamoto commands the Carrier Striking Fleet at Susaki. As can be assumed the fleet carriers of the IJN are all located here (Akagi, Kaga, Ryujo) along with 8 Nachi-class CA, 2 Mogami-class LC, and 11 Fubuki-class DD's.

Battle Fleet 2 homeported at Hiroshima and commanded by VADM Nagumo is lead by the BC Haruna and Kirishima, with 3 CA Furutaka-class and 1 CA of the Izumo-class, supported by 2 LC of the Tenryu-class, 6 Kuma-class LC, and 4 Minekaze-class DD.

Admiral Mikawa commands the Assault Fleet at Nagoya. This fleet is composed of the older BB's Ise, Yamashiro, Hyuga, and Fuso with the CA Asama, 2 Tenryu-class LC, and 3 Minekaze-DD's. The remainder of the fleet comprise the bulk of the transport forces available to the IJN.

The last IJN formation is the Submarine Command, located at Nagasaki and comprised of 2 L-Boats, 5 KD-Boats, and 1 J-Boat under RADM Sakonji.
 
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1st Quarter Report after Emperor's Birthday 1936 (End of April to First of August)

On the international front several significant developments have occurred, most important to Japan is the diplomatic retreat of Germany from ourselves. On the 26th of June, the German mission to the Emperor abruptly ceased their previous competition of influence with the Soviets. To what extant this relates to the civil war that erupted in Spain in the weeks just before is unclear to our Diplomatic Service at this time, even though both parties (Germany, Russia) have come out in support of opposite parties in that conflict it is dangerous to assume some form of direct correlation.
30seceq.jpg

After a month of silence from the German ambassador it was decided that our own foreign office would make discrete overtures towards them.
qzkso9.jpg


The Soviet mission remains actively attempting to influence the more weak-minded democrats in Japan.

During this time exciting technical developments have come about. The aircraft competition has ended and the Ki-27 (Type 97) from Nakajima has been accepted for production by the IJAA.
pc46h.jpg


Additionally, a new type of tank design prototype, the Type 95, has been drawn up. However, it is felt that this design should have more protection added to it before final acceptance. At the same time the IGHQ COS has authorized the SIGINT expansion lobbied for by the IJA Second Bureau.
2u8w9so.jpg


A whole range of new infantry arms equipment has been placed into prototyping, however it is felt that a more substantial performance improvement will be realized before production orders are placed.

The IJN has drawn up plans for a new carrier, tentatively titled the Shokaku-class...and a new battleship class titled Kii which would sport 420mm/45 main armament. There are no immediate plans to lay down hulls for either of these ship types this year.


The industrial incentives have born fruit, with an estimated 10% increase in GDP...however, dangerous shortfalls in rare materials prompted two critical trade missions, one to the Soviets and the other to the United States.

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1st Quarter Production Summary

At a number of points during the quarter the US had extended trade offers that were considered somewhat ruinous to long term plans, these being species for large amounts of non-POL military goods. Since our own production of supplies were already cut back in favor of the motorized corps program, it did not seem wise to triple the outflow of critical military supplies.
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By the same token the factories producing the motor corps program were demanding ever increasing amounts of rare materials, so trades were worked out for selling supplies to the US to fund rare materials purchases from the Soviet Union. This arrangement is planned to last until the motor corps is complete.

The IGHQ is also considering investigating ways to increase the production of supplies from those factories already allocated to such.

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1st Quarter Intelligence Summary
 
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Good luck against the Chinese, and especially against the Americans, your probably gonna need it!
 
1st Quarter Strategic Appreciation and Discussion by the IGHQ

During the past three months the strategic situation has not changed since the original broad appreciation taken on the Emperor's Birthday.

However there has been some significant discussions, sometimes heated, within the Sambo Hombu. At issue is the commitment to the motor corps and the surprise announcement by the Minister of War / CoAGS (Chief of the Army General Staff) of the steps he has secretly authorized in North China.

These sealed orders direct from the CoAGS to the commander of the 1st Army, GEN Hata, bypassing the chain of command and gave the General a free hand to exploit the Tanggu Truce to the fullest, pushing the economic and intelligence sphere of influence as deep as possible into North China.

While this in itself did not greatly disturb the officers of the Sambo Hombu when revealed, the ultimate goal of formulating a pretext to annexation of North China within a year was taken from the CoAGS's personal appreciation was the cause of deep concern.

It was Prince Kanin's view that the motor corps will make all the difference in crushing any KMT resistance to the planned annexation. In this he has been greatly influenced by his chosen protege, Colonel Baron Nishi, the main proponent of the motor corps program, who is out of the country participating in the Summer Olympics in Germany.

General Sugiyama Hajime, the Inspectorate General of Military Training (the third most powerful military position, reporting directly to the Emperor,) has emerged as the main cautionary voice, stating that Nishi's interpretation of the Great War's Plan 1919 by the British general Fuller omits the need for artillery, supposedly by replacing the manpower and logistical considerations for artillery with what seemed to be the internally discredited Yamato damashii wrapped in the foreign Cran wrapper.

Prince Kanin responded to Sugiyama in defense of the absent Nishi by stating that the Baron had often given similar cautions and that the CoAGS's own appreciation was that the KMT would simply be unable to deal with a modern force and would collapse even easier than their armies have in the past against the IJA; it was the CoAGS's opinion that a massive investment in heavy artillery and associated munitions would thus be an unnecessary additional drain of resources, not some form of backsliding into the Kodo faction way of thinking.

(The Kodo faction being the instigators of the February Coup, they were disdainful of the need of modernization in the Army.)

Sugiyama produces an internal memo from the commander of the Guards Division, MGEN Saburo Ando, to the effect that it was his opinion the removal of the artillery from the division would greatly weaken its offensive power in favor of light armor which was dependent on POL supplies. Sugiyama uses this memo to point out that the entire motor corps would be competing with the Navy for POL in the event of war.

The discussions ended with Sugiyama getting the CoAGS to agree to have Baron Nishi give a complete report to the Sambo Hombu on his return from the Olympics, and for a series of map exercises to be done in the fall which thoroughly examine the North China situation and inform the formation of operational plans.

Additionally the CoAGS tentatively agrees that after the motor corps is completed, remaining levys of the three year draft will be organized into triangular divisions with an attached artillery brigade.

The quarter ends for the Army General Staff in seeming agreement, however the CoAGS is personally offended by what he feels are forced concessions on his part to Sugiyama.
 
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2nd Quarter Report after the Emperor's Birthday of 1936 (Aug-Oct '36)

Baron Nishi returned from the Olympics having taken a fall which bruised his pride more than anything else. His apparent riding failure aside, he made many contacts during his time in Germany, amongst them an officer named Guderian whom Nishi found to be intellectually stimulating on his interpretation of Fuller's Plan 1919. Nishi was practically gushing with excitement about his conversations with Guderian during his briefings with the IJA General Staff regarding Japan's own motor corps.

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The concepts discussed in the 1st Quarter are placed into formalized doctrine, and the SIGINT capabilities of the military are energized.

The upshot of this is that he feels emphasis should be placed on not just using the motor corps to smash the enemy, but to make deep breakthroughs of an enemy's lines.

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Nishi insists on expounding the breakthrough in future doctrine.

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The production of the motor corps continues apace.

Meanwhile, interesting developments from the security police...

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The inscrutable chinese...

The Minister of War / CoAG finds a silver lining in the discovery of the KMT spy ring and makes plans to exploit this in the near future to settle some scores.
 
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The Hirota Affair

December 5th to 7th, 1936
The Minister of War & CoAGS, Prince Kotohito Kanin, looking to settle some scores, uses information gained about a KMT spy ring that was loosely operating under the guise of the Sino-Japanese common front championed by the Foreign Minister Koki Hirota to cause a constitutional crisis, his goal being to crush the idea of Sino-Japanese cooperation to further the Army's aims in North China.

Simultaneously, but unconnected to the spy ring, Kanin replaces MGEN Ando of the Imperial Guards with a newly promoted Baron Nishi. MGEN Saburo Ando and the Guards Artillery brigade are both shifted to one of the 5th Corps divisions at Nagoya to be shipped out to China.
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MGEN Nishi replaces MGEN Ando
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Motor Corps is fully formed, MGEN Ando and the Guards Artillery on the move

Meanwhile as the Japanese Diet spends some days wrangling with the IGHQ over a replacement for the discredited Hirota, inside the Sambo Hombu wheels are turning that Prince Kanin had not anticipated. General Sugiyama is not overly surprised by Kanin's move against Ando, and anticipating something similar against himself makes contact with Admiral Yamamoto regarding his views on the manner in which the Army has unilaterally run roughshod over the military needs of the Empire (purely a position of convenience since he had been in favor of the Army position.)

Admiral Yamamoto was not born yesterday, but he recognizes the possibility of regaining some political parity with the Army if he can get a tractable Minister of War, and agrees to support Sugiyama in his bid to replace Kanin in that position, which by the 7th of December after revelation of his unconstitutional and outside CoC actions with the Kwangtun Army the surprised Prince Kanin is forced to accept, allowing Sugiyama to assume the title of Minister of War while Kanin remains CoAGS.

Minister of War Sugiyama then solidifies IGHQ's backing for Hachiro Arita to replace Koki Hirota, and in the spirit of "new beginnings" with dealings between Sugiyama and the Diet, Arita is confirmed.

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Not quiet as Kanin planned...

One of the sweetners for Yamamoto's support was the promise by Sugiyama of a near 50/50 split in production resources between the IJN and IJA. Yamamoto had grudgingly took a backseat to the motor corps program, and now that the new carrier designs were at the point where hulls could be laid down he was more than open to getting a fair share of the military budget. Yamamoto also agrees to Sugiyama's modest modernization and upgrade plan, as long as the air arms of both the Army and Navy receive first priority.

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Carrier design ready...battleships get attention.

The Navy lays down hulls for two CV's and their own prestige project, the battleship Yamato...the Army calls for three more divisions along the lines as Kanin and Sugiyama had agreed on during the previous quarter. The CoAGS deciding to play it cool and bide his time with the new Minister of War.

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Dec '36 Production Agreement between IJA & IJN


On the international front the trade agreement with the US is put on hold. Minister of War Sugiyama also devotes some time to directing the intelligence services to solidify the Tosei clique's hold on affairs. Also efforts to destabilize the KMT regime are ordered to be undertaken by the Kwangtun Theater command in a secret directive.

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Sugiyama takes charge of intelligence
 
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Motor Corps Deploys to China, 2nd Army is Formed

On the morning of December 30th the world news wires were alive with the capitulation of the Nationalists of Spain to the Republicans. This effectively removed any attention of the deployment of 100,000 Japanese troops to China in the form of the 5th Corps and the Motor Corps.

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New forces arrive in China with an unfortunate publicity screen

Minister of War Sugiyama approves the selection of General Dohihara to form and lead the 2nd Army in China, taking in the newly arrived 5th Corps and the Cavalry Corps from 1st Army. Sugiyama also takes the opportunity to remove Gen Hata, the prime conduit of former Minister of War Kanin's Kwantung machinations, and places GEN Kuribayashi in charge of 1st Army. The Chief of the Army General Staff, Prince Kanin, accepts these maneuvers and continues to wait for the moment he knows is coming, having had no problem with Sugiyama as Inspectorate General of Military Training, but he know the man had grander ideas about Japanese superiority than even himself, and with such hubris there would be mistakes.

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Army Group A, January 1937
 
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Operation Ryuudai

The Army General Staff has analyzed the map exercises ordered the previous quarter and assembled an operational plan for the annexation of North China, dubbed Ryuudai. This plan was registered with the IGHQ as a contingency in the event of Chinese aggression.

The plan calls for the 1st Army to execute two isolation moves utilizing the II Corps and the Motor Corps while I, III, and IV Corps perform pinning actions on their fronts.

2nd Army's V Corps will secure the high ground over the Yongping river and the 1st Army's right flank. VI Corps and the Cavalry will push across the Inner Mongolian plain to secure the mountainous areas and deny them to the enemy.

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Emperor's Birthday 1937

The three divisions that Sugiyama ordered were shipped out and added to the 4th Corps of the 1st Army.

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Three divisions added to 4th Corps

After those divisions were completed, Minister of War Sugiyama then reneged on his promise with CoNGS Yamamoto and pushed through five new infantry divisions for the completion of 6th Corps in China. To make this happen he used his position as Minister of War to lower the priority of the Yamato, in addition to gutting the combined forces upgrade agreement. When he finds out Yamamoto is incensed, but there is little he can do with the situation asides from complain in the IGHQ meeting, he was finding the Minister of War to be less tractable than he had originally thought.

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Sugiyama stabs Yamamoto in the back...Army First.

This turnabout treatment was unfortunate for the Army itself as the small arms industry was turning out advanced weapons prototypes...

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Additional karmic kickback came in the form of a scandal in the Diet, some say instigated by Communist members.

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Which rapidly devolved into a call to reform the Foreign Ministry, which was ignored.

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4th Quarter Summary, on the event of the Emperor's Birthday 1937

Intelligence
The new Minister of War's attempts to destabilize the KMT regime apparently not only backfired, but caused the virtual decimation of our carefully assembled spy rings in those lands.
The Soviet Union is putting Comintern support behind the communists in Japan, and may have even been behind the recent Parliamentary Scandals.
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Many brave agents died bringing us this information...

Within the warrens of the Army General Staff, Prince Kanin plans a comeback...
 
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July 1937...Provocations deferred, Kanin re-emerges

Another side effect of Sugiyama's sudden decision to place the Army above the Navy in procurement was Yamamoto's equally sneaky response, maneuvering a naval officer to oversee technical development within the IGHQ. As such as projects finished the Navy was in position to put itself at the head of the line, keeping control of finished naval groups and placing army oriented groups on projects of Yamamoto's chosen priorities.

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However the virtual standstill that Sugiyama's decisions caused for the Yamato, and even more profoundly for the supply situation of the Army as a whole was building to a boil when a confidential memo was circulated within the Sambo Hombu detailing how the recent decimation of our spy rings in China, made up of Chinese and Japanese civilians and some of their dependents could constitute an intolerable provocation. An event at the Marco Polo bridge, which would have provided an excellent pretext for wider military action simply wound down after a directive from Sugiyama to not exploit the situation.

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Yamato and critical supply situation...

General Prince Kanin acted swiftly, as Sugiyama had made an arrangement with Yamamoto, so did Kanin. Kanin made promises to the IJN chief that in exchange for his support, the Navy could retain veto control of the technical department, that as soon as the 6th Corps was ready for deployment the Army would make no more direct demands on the economy, and again the Navy would be given sole control of resource priorities. Yamamoto readily agreed to these terms and Sugiyama was unceremoniously sacked from the Minister of War position and returned to his duties at as Inspectorate General of Military Training.

Kanin took the time to place some new men in key positions at the same time, effectively re-organizing the intelligence and security departments. Baba Eiichi taking over security and Honma Masaharu the intelligence section.

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Out with the new, in with the old...

Kanin made good on his promises...

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Situation in North China, September 1937

Kanin having brought some semblance of order back to the overall situation within IGHQ, and with supplies flowing properly again, turned his attention to North China.

6th Corps had long since taken up their Operation Ryuudai positions, and the political will was still present amongst the Japanese population to punish the KMT for the provocations of their Shanxi proxies in North China, the lateness of the campaigning season weighed heavily on Kanin's mind. So far the early fall weather was clear and promising, but this could change in a matter of weeks.

Another consideration on his mind was that he felt that the new cooperative spirit with the Navy was too fragile for him to unilaterally start what could easily become a conflict involving the KMT operating what naval forces it had against the Japanese. There were political reasons to include the Navy in the Ryuudai plan earlier than later...after all the buildup on the northern china border was no secret within the IGHQ, and the concept of the Ryuudai plan was also known, but up to that point all the Navy had known was that it was a responsive contingency, not a planned offensive.

Kanin decided a slight subterfuge was in order, he had the Army General Staff write up a set of new orders for Army Group A called Operation "AC", detailing a punitive expedition in force, with limited objectives, plus the plan called on the Navy to blockade the Chinese ports, confiscating Chinese cargoes and authorizing them to sink Chinese naval ships on sight. These plans were not transmitted to anyone in the Kwantung theater command, however they were given to the Navy.

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The IJN's concept to support Operation "AC"

The Naval plans called for the Main Battle Fleet and Battle Fleet 2 to split into three task forces each, the Carrier Striking Fleet would remain in its peacetime configuration.

The MBF task forces would provide shore support as needed for the Army Operations, which the navy was told would commence October 1st.

Orders were immediately issued to the IJN commands involved and the MBF and BF2 split into the following task forces:

MBF-1 (VADM Ozawa) tasked with blockading the port of Qingdao and comprised of the BC Kongo and the CV Zuiho, with 3 Kuma-class CL, and 1 Minekaze-class DD.

MBF-2 (VADM Nagano) tasked with patrolling the Yellow Sea proper and made up of the BC Hiei, 3 Kuma-class CL, and 1 Minekaze-class DD.

MBF-3 (RADM Fukudome) tasked with the shore support and closing of the port of Dagu. The ships assigned to it from the MBF, the BB's Mutsu, Nagato, and CA Kinugasa with 3 Kuma-class LC, and 1 Minekaze-class DD.

BF2-1 (VADM Nagumo) tasked with patrolling the coast between Shanghai and the north end of the Taiwan Strait with the ships BC Haruna, CA's Kako and Aoba, 2 Tenryu-class LC, and 2 Minekaze-class DD.

BF2-2 (RADM Nomura K.) tasked with the north Taiwan Straight and assigned the CA's Izumo, & Furutaka, with 3 Kuma-class LC, and 1 Minekaze-class DD.

BF2-3 (VADM Koga) tasked with the south Taiwan Straight and assigned BC Kirishima, 3 Kuma-class CL, and 1 Minekaze-class DD.

S-1 (RADM Sakonji) tasked with patrolling the sensitive area off Hong Kong and the Hainan Straight, comprised of I-1, and I-53 through 57.

S-2 (CDR Ito) tasked with patrolling the East China Sea, comprised of RO 67 & RO 68
 
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Just a quick question; any plans in the submarine department?
 
Just a quick question; any plans in the submarine department?

Operational plans or development plans?

So far (Jan '38) Yamamoto has not used his control of the technical departments to expand submarine research, and no new subs have been laid down (in fact just the 2 CV's and Yamato.) -- as you can probably tell I'm doing my best to RP the Army/Navy and other internal-to-the-military discords and rivalries.

Operationally however the subs have shown their worth, I'll get those updates posted here to bring it all up to date.
 
The Calm Before the Storm, October 1st, 1937

Some snapshots of the china situation before operations begin.

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Army Group A stands ready on the North China Front

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Arriving on station, Adm Yamamoto orders the CSF to split into two task forces.

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A cold weather front is reported at Formosa and heading northerly...

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Finally time for some propaganda incited payback...
 
Operational plans or development plans?

So far (Jan '38) Yamamoto has not used his control of the technical departments to expand submarine research, and no new subs have been laid down (in fact just the 2 CV's and Yamato.) -- as you can probably tell I'm doing my best to RP the Army/Navy and other internal-to-the-military discords and rivalries.

Operationally however the subs have shown their worth, I'll get those updates posted here to bring it all up to date.

Looking forward yo the updates, personally i find subs quite essential later on as Japan especially to hamper the US fleet movements
 
Operation Ryuudai - October 1st - 15th, 1937

1st Army's front
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2nd Army's front
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The first Army first penetrated the the thin Shanxi front at Tianjin, with the Motor Corps leading the way...
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The IJAA reported large numbers of KMT forces heading north almost immediately...
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and
The CSF task forces send the Chinese Navy packing...
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By 1500 on the 3rd Day of offensive operations, inroads have been made north and south of Beijing...
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By 1600, the forces in Leting are pocketed...
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The airforces of both parties have not been idle either...
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By the 6th of October the 2nd Army is brushing aside all resistance...
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On the 1st Army front progress is slower...with 3rd Corps apparently having trouble breaking over the Great Wall approaches to Beiping...
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3rd Corps supply situation certainly was not helping...
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The morning of the 10th, Chicom reinforcements begin appearing in front of the 1st Army...
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By evening they are present on the 2nd Army front also...
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By the 11th the IJAA flying from Dalin was deeply committed to interdicting enemy troop movements and intercepting enemy aircraft.
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On the 12th, the Leting pocket was liquidated...
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Guangxi attempts something cheeky...
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The Chicoms attempt a desperate counter-attack against the Motor Corps advance...
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In the center, 4th Corps pushes through the hills and behind Beijing with some overlap with 5th Corps advance to the west.
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On the coast, the 1st Corps leaves a holding division and swings through Tianjin to join the push to cut off Datong.
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Political and Domestic Interlude, October 1937

On October 11th, Germany offered to make a pact with Japan...
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After some consideration by the IGHQ, it was recommended that the Emperor accept this pact. The Diet was not consulted.
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Neutral begone!

Domestically, the call for rationing scarce resources goes out. The economy is not placed on a total war footing however.
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Adm. Yamamoto makes sure that the Navy comes first in technical development...
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