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No, tanks would be very useful when fighting the Russians. Not the tin cans with machine guns nailed on that the IJA pretend are tanks. Actual tanks.
Though of one wonder why anyone wants to fight the Russians over empty and worthless Siberian Tundra, when there are richer pickings that are actually worth conquering elsewhere. There is no mystery of course, it is because the IJA are treacherous and dishonourable idiots.
Proof that the Ministry of Armaments has indeed been infiltrated by the IJA and infected it with their dishonourable incompetence. What on earth do they think the SNLF troops are? You know then SNLF, the only effective and competent ground forces the country has. Why are we wasting time and money on "researching" troop types we are already deploying?
I fear this entire episode occured just because the IJA is too proud to ask the IJN for the blueprints, lest it further reveal that we should disband the entire army and replace it with Marines.
Disloyalty to the Empire by betting that the worthless Chinese might win!? Perfidy!
And money wasted. Well done Kaga, both the valuable recon, then port strikes and sinking part of the fleeing enemy fleet. Good heavy cruiser support as well to help tidy up. Air power proves useful in power projection on the ground.
A big bite to consume!
So is it going to be them rather than the Allies? Or as well, to help the Germans if or when the time comes (if Japan even joins the Axis)? Or just a precaution?
My work is never done - rust doesn’t sleep! A bunch of rebels is well within the Army’s capabilities and beneath the dignity of SNLF troops to concern themselves with. I’m sure we can find more interesting work elsewhere.
OOC Reply - Soviet Far East has oil fields along the coast. In some cases in the very provinces that holds a Port. And happen to be the most important Provinces in the Soviet Far East. IF we went to war with the Russians, when they went to war with the Germans, the Army could be the anvil while the Navy could be the hammer - taking the ports, destroying their fleets, blocking their trade, taking their crude oil, and pushing them closer to defeat.
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Chapter Forty-Eight: Communist China - 11.8.1937
Utsunimiya's War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Forty-Eight: Communist China - 11.8.1937
The People's Republic Of China
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Forty-Eight: Communist China - 11.8.1937
The People's Republic Of China
Hajime Sugiyama was rarely impressed by signs of wealth or power. The wealthy families of Japan were always trying to impress members of the government or the military with big houses, large cars, and many servants.
But he had to be honest with himself as he walked into the Prime Minister's office. He was very much impressed by the room. It was large, clean, and in good taste.
The head of the Japanese government, one of the most powerful politicians in Japan, and a Naval veteran of both the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War was the Prime Minister of Japan. Keisuke Okada had been a Captain, a Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, and Full Admiral. He had won many honors and had also spent some time behind the desk. He had once served in the Naval Shipbuilding Command. He was, to put it simply, somewhat famous.
But he was also somewhat...infamous. He didn't WANT war with the US. Also he was one of the few Naval officers who also felt that the London Naval Treaty of 1930 had been a GOOD idea.
"Sir," stated Hajime as he bowed, sat down, and placed his hat on his left knee. "I am happy you agreed to meet me so we could discuss the future conflict People's Republic of China."
The Prime Minister nodded. "From what I understand the nation is in a perfect state of war fever. And it seemed to be directed towards the Communist Chinese. Even the Diet seems to be willing to declare war on them at a moment's notice. The Head of Intelligence must be proud." The last sentence seemed to suggest just a hint of disgust.
Hajime nodded and replied, "I am sure he is. And what I would like to talk about is WHEN the declaration of war should be passed."
"No doubt," remarked the Prime Minister. "I will point out that the Foreign Minister is NOT as eager to start another war as the rest of you are. He fears the reaction of the Soviets and the Americans. They are already focusing too much attention on Asia. Expanding on the war, he fears, will hurt our relationship with those nations AND also hurt our trade."
"The second Germany does something in Europe the Russians will forget us," pointed out the Chief of Staff with a smile. "As for the Americans....well, they may not like our policy in China but right NOW they can't do anything to stop us."
"I see," said the Prime Minister. "Well, why don't you tell me when YOU think we should invade the People's Republic if China?" Once again there was a slight hint of disgust or disapproval.
"We believe the best time to declare war is when Shanxi falls to us," stated Hajime. He pulled out a small map. "Once Shanxi is taken much of our forces will be bordering the Communists. In fact the Capital Province of Yan'an has already been added to the list of objectives. The HQ of the 'China' Operations knows it will be their next target once Shanxi surrenders." He placed the map on the desk.
The Prime Minister hummed, as he looked at the map, and said, "That region is mostly mountains. Those cavalry will prove useless in the mountains and in the streets of the capital."
"There are mountain divisions," responded Hajime, "to deal with the mountains. And enough regular infantry to deal with the urban combat."
"How soon will Shanxi fall?" asked the Prime Minister as he leaned back in his chair.
"Soon," answered Hajime. "They have filled their capital with defenders. But they are mostly badly equipped militia or worn out infantry. Survivors of defeats at our Army's hands. Once the capital is captured there is nowhere else for them to run."
"The Shanxi government may escape by going to their allies in the Republic," pointed out the Prime Minister.
"Which means they would exist for another month or two," said Hajime with a grin.
"You truly think the war will last only three months?"
"Yes," said the Chief of Staff with a nod of his head. "I've said it before and I will say it again. The Republic of China will fall within three months of when the war started. Period."
The Prime Minister nodded. "So once Shanxi falls I will push for the declaration of war on the People's Republic of China."
Hajime, feeling he had been dismissed, started to stand up but stopped when the Prime Minister rested a hand.
"I would like to ask," stated the Prime Minister, "is it true that General Shō-ichi Utsunimiya has sent an order to the Minister of Armaments for the training and assembly of two Corps of Marines?"
Hajime nodded again. "Yes. Eight Divisions total, each in full strength, are to be created in two waves. They should be ready, roughly, around early to mid 1938."
"If the Navy has its way those Marines will be used against American occupied islands," mumbled the Prime Minister. "And likely the islands of the South Pacific."
Hajime chuckled and added, "If the Army gets its way those Marines will be used to capture Russian coastal oil fields and important ports in the Soviet Far East."
The Prime Minister sighed. "Yes. Well, I think I have all I need to know. I will make sure to brief his Majesty the Emperor on the details. Thank you."
The Chief of Staff, this time sure he HAD been dismissed, stood up, bowed, and left the office. He could not help be feel the current Prime Minister was NOT happy with the way events were going. Could it be the man was against expanding the might of the Empire?
The Chief of Staff frowned as he left the building. He wondered if it would be best to find a way to...replace the man. Surely he wasn't the only person in the military, OR in the government, who worried about the loyalty of the current Prime Minister. These thoughts dogged him as he entered his waiting car. He directed his driver to take him back to his own office. There was always work to be done. It would take some time as the streets were somewhat crowded.
Being a Sunday the streets were, indeed, crowded. Movie theaters were fill, news stands were making a profit, and parks were the favorite spot for happy families. War had generated a lot of energy within the populace and whenever they had free time they eagerly used it to get out and enjoy themselves. And try to forget, for a few hours, the violence happening across the sea.
But not everybody spent their free time watching news shorts or flying kites. Some men volunteered in workshops where they spent hours producing more ammo and bombs for the war. Students sometimes went back to their schools on the weekend to help make care packages for the soldiers at the front. Many women, some very young, used up their free time making socks or scarves for the brave sailors and the handsome pilots.
And of course mothers and wives wept over the letters they received from the Imperial Japanese Army or the Imperial Japanese Navy. Sadly, the graveyards were sometimes just as busy as the businesses and parks were.
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Ah, 'tis a heavy burden for a Chief of Staff when your Minister does not share one's own... enthusiasms.
Particularly when the Prime Minister is correct and and the Chief of Staff is an idiot.
That sounds very bad - replacing a man who accidentally shoots himself in the back a couple of dozen times?
Quite. The PM sounds like one of the few sane men left in the asylum.Particularly when the Prime Minister is correct and and the Chief of Staff is an idiot.
Keisuke Okada may be a bit too pacifist to my taste, but he definitely gets more things right than the Chief of Staff. Case in point. He served on board Battleships, commanded the Combined Fleet, and is a true Carrier-Battleship moderate, he could bring the Navy together, but he rots away as a Prime Minister no one seems to really listen to.Particularly when the Prime Minister is correct and and the Chief of Staff is an idiot.
There is no point in pushing into the Chinese interior, it'll just be more territory to manage. I Would like to suggest we take only the most resource-rich areas, and the coast and leave the interior to whatever Chinese government is prepared to negotiate such a peace with us. I also suggest leaving the Communists alone, lest we incur the wrath of the Soviets and end up embroiled in another pointless land war in the Siberian tundra.
New IJN Marines have started training, not a moment too soon. Finally, some competent ground forces.
On the naval combat in China. It is proving that Big-Gun ships and Carriers can work together to great effect. They complement each-other. A navy which does not have both modern Carriers and modern Battleships is markedly less effective than a combined fleet. At least that's what I'm getting out of it. As much as I love Battleships, Carriers have a role to play, maybe even an equal one to that of the Battleship. You may think I'm an old barnacle, but I am capable of adjusting my opinions in light of new evidence. The problem we're going to encounter is that our existing Battleships, while they pack quite the punch, cannot match the range, let alone the speed, of the new Carriers under construction. It is thus essential that we develop and construct modern Battleships lest we limit the IJN's longer range capabilities.
I want to see our prime Minister respected, he was at Tsushima, we may not always agree, but he knows what he's talking about.
Captain RobaS3,
Dismayed at the disrespect of the Chief of Staff vis-a-vis our distinguished Prime Minister.
Chapter Forty-Nine: Shanxi Falls - 12.8.1937 To 18.8.1937
Utsunimiya's War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Forty-Nine: Shanxi Falls - 12.8.1937 To 18.8.1937
The Land War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Forty-Nine: Shanxi Falls - 12.8.1937 To 18.8.1937
The Land War
The Army started the seventh week of the war engaged in the Battle of Shuoxian. The rest of the Japanese Army, not already involved in the battle, was advancing forward to occupy the provinces that the enemy soldiers were abandoning.
In fact, shortly after breakfast on the 12th of August a Japanese Infantry Division marched into Huimin and attacked the defending Chinese Infantry Division. Both were well rested but the Japanese had superior leadership, superior numbers, and better equipment.
An hour later the Battle of Shuoxian came to an end in a victory. The Japanese lost 18 men while the Shanxi lost 309 men. This Province, just northwest of the enemy capital, would allow the Army to encircle Taiyuan.
But the Imperial Japanese Army couldn't wait for a proper encirclement. Around 4 PM on the same day the 6. Mountain Division launched a attack on the Shanxi Capital. Trying for 'Shock' tactics the soldiers poured into the streets. The defenders, a Shanxi militia unit and a cavalry unit, found themselves facing superior leadership and EQUAL numbers.
Around this time the 19. Hohei Shidan, in northern Korea, once again complained about a lack of supplies. What alarmed General Shō-ichi Utsunimiya, as he read the report, was that 12. Hohei Shidan was also complaining about a lack of supplies. This was alarming because the 12. was a front line unit marching into the Province of Shuoxian to occupy it. This was the first REAL sign that logistics might become a problem the deeper the Army got into China.
Shortly before lunch on the 13th of August the 37. Infantry Division charged into the Province of Anyang. The defending militia units outnumbered the Japanese but the attackers had superior leadership and were trying to use the tactic of 'Assault' on the hopes of overwhelming the Nationalist Chinese.
Later, in the afternoon, a lone Japanese infantry division slammed into the Province of Togtoh. The defenders were three Shanxi HQ units and a lone militia unit which was already on its last legs.
A few hours before midnight the defenders of Anyang fled. The Japanese lost 19 men while the Chinese lost 24 men.
An hour after midnight the Battle of Togtoh was won by the Japanese. They lost only 3 men while the defenders lost 22 men.
The Second Battle of Togtoh started a few hours later. Seems the Shanxi were not retreating fast enough. Before noon the Second Battle was a Japanese victory with the Japanese losing 5 men whole the Shanxi lost another 28 men.
An hour before noon, on the 15th of August, the Japanese won the Battle of Taiyuan. The victory cost the Japanese 140 men. It cost the Shanxi 525 men.
A few hours later the 6. Cavalry Division attacked the Province of Fenyang. The defenders were two Shanxi HQ units. Victory here would put Japanese troops south of Taiyuan. A few hours later the Japanese received that victory at the cost of zero men. The Shanxi, being fast runners, also lost no one.
On the early morning of the 16th it was clear that the Shanxi in Togtoh were not getting the message as a lone HQ unit was still in the province. This triggered another battle, the third one, when three Japanese infantry divisions tried to march through it.
Even while the Shanxi battle line started to fold in on itself the enemy government had fled to the province of Pingyao. They wanted to continue to function, to continue to fight, to continue to give their people hope. But even they could see the writing on the wall.
Maybe it was the news of another Japanese victory in Togtoh that crushed the last of their hopes. True, neither side lost a man, but a defeat for the Shanxi is still a defeat.
Or maybe it was the knowledge that nothing could stop the Imperial Japanese Army from taking the new capital? The new capital didn't have any defenders.
Whatever the reason the Shanxi government's last act was to surrender to the Empire of Japan on the 17th of August. Now there would be a race between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Republic military to try to rebuild the battle lines.
But that was not all that happened. The second the news of Shanxi's fall reached Japan the Diet declared war on the People's Republic of China.
By the end of the seventh week the Imperial Japanese Army was racing to move units into position along side the People's Republic border and the Republic's far left flank.
It had also claimed seven victories, and the final defeat of the nation of Shanxi, at the loss of 185 soldiers in Land Combat for the week. The Shanxi had lost 884 men in Land Combat while the Chinese Republic had lost 24 men to Land Combat.
The Air War
It was 3 AM in the morning of the 12th when both Army Air (Bomber) Groups hit the Province of Shuoxian. The two Shanxi militia units were not happy about this. Already totally disorganized many of the defenders failed to even make it to their shelters when the bombs started to explode around them. That was the only bombing run on the defenders and it caused 136 deaths.
Also, on the 12th, one of the Army's Fighter Groups announced they had upgraded both their Wings. Somehow they had turned biplanes into Nakajima Ki-27s. General Shō-ichi Utsunimiya didn't question it. He just assumed the Army Air Force had received help from the Navy's engineers. They must be wizards he thought to himself. (1)
On the 13th the Army Air Groups went their separate ways. Shortly after midnight one bombed the Chinese soldiers in the Province of Huimin. The Chinese soldiers were hit eight times and lost 627 men.
The other went to blast the defending Shanxi in their Capital of Taiyuan. The Capital was bombed nine times before it was captured by ground troops. The bombs killed 606 Shanxi defenders.
The Air Group from Huimin moved onto the Province of Togtoh. There the Shanxi militia were already on the ropes. The bombs dropping on them didn’t help approve their sad state. There was only one bombing run, which killed 78 Shanxi militia, because the defenders lost their battle shortly afterwards.
Shortly after this the nation of Shanxi disappeared from history and the Army Air Groups were able to receive some free time to work on their planes and get some rest.
The Navy War
Of course the bombing of Nanjing continued. The Tactical Wings hit the city twenty-three times. And the pilots reported, as the pilots had reported before, the same thing. The stockpiles were being filled as fast as they were being hit. And the roads, rails, and bridges were gone.
There was very little left for the Navy to do. The two operations had been successive and the Chinese Navy was broken. The Submarines, the Naval Bombers, and the Task Groups were hunting for convoys while the 2nd Navy patrolled outside a port for enemy ships that might, or might not, exist.
General Shō-ichi Utsunimiya was spending much of his time in dealing with the citizens of Shanghai. Business owners needed supplies to keep the populace happy. Roads needed repair and workshops needed power. Doctors and hospitals needed medicine and equipment. Law and Order had to be maintained.
The people of the province were wary about seeming too friendly. On one hand if the Japanese Empire won they would be the new masters of China and the families needed to eat, send their kids to school, and run their businesses. People wanted things to go back to normal. And to be honest the Nationalists were not as well loved as they had liked to pretend they were. So a few citizens were starting to work with the Japanese officers to help rebuild the city and the surrounding provinces.
On the other hand if the Japanese lost the war anybody who had dealt with them would be labeled a traitor. People would use it to get back for old wrongs. A lot of knives would be drawn and a lot of people would likely be murdered in the name of 'justice' against 'enemies of the state'. Many citizens refused to make eye contact with the Japanese soldiers and many would cross the street at the approach of Japanese officers.
By the end of the seventh week the Navy reported a lack of Chinese convoys to attack. Maybe the enemy convoy system had collapsed. Or the Nationalist needed every resource, every item, to keep their economy from falling apart and had nothing extra to trade away over seas?
Misc. Events
Reports from the Head of Intelligence were somewhat interesting and, sometimes, outright amusing.
For example, it was reported that the Republic of China was allowed to go into debt with the UK, the USA, and France. But without a convoy system how would it import all that war material?
With the fall of Shanxi, and the opening of hostilities with the People’s Republic of China, the Head of Intelligence sent out new orders for his spy networks.
Those spies already stationed in Communist China were told to switch from trying to make the Communists look bad to starting to disrupt their national unity.
Those agents that had been in Shanxi were moved to Guangxi Clique were they would fabricate false stories for the Japanese media to spread. The warlords of this region needed to be hated and look more threatening in the eyes of the world. Sooner, or later, the Empire would be coming for them!
Funny enough, while the Communists saw Japan as their greatest threat the Nationalists still thought the Communists next door were more of a threat. They were either very paranoid or they still believed all the false rumors the Japanese newspapers and radios had spread!
The Head of Intelligence also announced that by the end of the seventh week the US had captured two Japanese agents and the Communist Chinese had captured three Japanese agents.
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Author's Notes:1. Known as "Kates" to the Americans.
2. A OOC look at the ‘behind’ the scenes:
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Of course the sad reality is that, where the Communists are concerned, the IJN is impotent.
General Utsunimiya also thinks the same about electricity, the wheel and people who can tie their own shoelaces without accidentally strangling themselves. He is, after all, only IJA, so almost every form of technology, or even thinking, looks like magic to his simple mind.
The IJA maintaining 'Law and Order' in occupied China... Who ever said the IJA didn't have a sense of humour? You will not find a bigger joke in all Japan, outside of our intelligence agencies obviously.
Random thought : From a gameplay perspective, I wonder how much entertainment value could be derived from 1) Japan
joining the Axis before Khalkin Gol, and then using that event to declare war on the Soviets....
joining the Axis before Khalkin Gol, and then using that event to declare war on the Soviets....
Excuse me, you mean the second sign. The first sign was when they put the Army in charge.
Clearly, General Utsumysterytomiya has never heard of such magical techniques as "building new planes", "shipping them over", or "and sending the old ones back for scrapping". Wizardry, indeed.
If we're going to declare war on the Soviets, the Germans would be good help...I hear they have engineering plans for so-called "land battleships" which would be crucial to ensure that it is the Navy, and not the Army, which has operational control in Siberia.
Or I guess we could commit seppuku, by which I mean declare war on the Western powers such as the UK or USA. I suppose this is a backup option to keep in mind if the IJA becomes too influential and us Navy folks must kill ourselves out of shame.
The Khalkin Gol event is not coded into the game (I think). As for declaring war on the Soviets that will likely only happen IF the American Elections in 1940 go the way I want and IF the Advisers decide to join the Axis (because it would allow us to declare war on the Allies and absorb their Asia colonies) and IF I think the Germans can hold up their part of the war. Now, in my AARs up to now the Germans have always stomped the USSR flat but they only did so after much delay and on their own terms. I would not wish to drag them into a war with the USSR and suddenly found out they were not prepared. On the other hand I don't want to join the Axis and suddenly get surprised by a war with the Soviets while my Navy is still fighting Allied fleets and my Army is knee deep in Indian mud.
The Army isn’t doing too badly, even if our expectations were low.
OOC: One thing I have noticed about HOI4 is that it does more realistically is progressively rotate new equipment in for old, putting the obsolete stuff into stockpiles. In HOI3, the approach seems to be nothing changes until an upgrade reaches 100%, then it all changes at once and the old gear is just written off.
Hmm, but as OTL history demonstrated, just because they were paranoid didn’t mean the Commies weren’t out to get them! (Sorry about the double negative, but it’s necessary in this case
)
That is one good thing about HoI4, indeed. It's why in the future, I'm going require that I cannot use the upgrade function for my air forces and instead build completely new units; and for the Navy, at-sea upgrade rates must be waaaay lower.
An interesting self-limiting approach (as well as being a gesture to realism). Of course, it means those foregone upgrade costs can offset the new build costs. In my TT AAR, where Turkey buys all its new air and naval units from licences and doesn't really research them itself, this is effectively imposed by that combination of game mechanics. I'm thinking of disbanding the old Blenheim TAC wing I've retained so far for use as a 'recon unit', but has seen little use. I guess one could save a bit by doing so (MP and ongoing supply costs, at least) with old units?
For air forces (or tanks for that matter!), it might make more sense to house-rule that planes have to be kept in the capital to do an upgrade. Otherwise you eventually wind up with a lot of outdated divisions that not only have to be continually replaced, but keep being reinforced with, one presumes, old equipment still being manufactured - or else not used at all! Not entirely ahistorical, sure, but probably not what is desired for gameplay either.
The ship upgrade rate I think can be modded in the defines.lua without too much trouble.