Utsunimiya's War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Two : The First Steps - 1.1.1936 To 17.1.1936
After the meeting in The Imperial General Headquarters of the 1st of January, and the collection of feedback from the many advisers and officials who could not take part in the meeting, a summary of the suggested plan on how to prepare and carry out a conflict with China was prepared. It was then presented to the Emperor by the Head of the Government Keisuke Okada during a second meeting within the Imperial General Headquarters.
Once the Emperor gave his approval things started to move somewhat quickly. Or at least quickly for a government.
First, nobody was surprised by the lack of a interest to align with one bloc or another. Most advisers and government officials seemed to have a wait-and-see attitude when it came to joining up with any of the powerful nations.
True, there were Anglophiles, or in general Westopiles, among the advisers who felt joining up with the UK would be a good idea.
Of course these people also drank their tea with cream and sugar while also going out in European (or American) fashion. Some women even wore their hair in a European style. This, of course was understandable given the two nations’ history, but it was still discouraged.
Without any foreign policy to restrict him the Foreign Minister was able to make trading agreements with anybody he wanted. Which he did. He bought metals from the Soviet Union, rare materials from the US, and even sold some of Japan’s excess coal to the Netherlands.
As this was happening the Minister of Armaments, Chūji Machida, carefully planned out what Japan’s industry would start producing for the conflict with China. First, the equipment for four Mountain Divisions were placed at the top of the list. The order would come in two waves with enough uniforms, rifles, and support for two Divisions each. The first Divisions would be created some time n June.
The next order was equipment for a total of four Cavalry Divisions. Like the Mountain Divisions this order had been split into two waves.
After reviewing the air force units available for the conflict the military had agreed that only one Wing of Kawasaki Ki-48s were needed. Which, compared to the rest of the demands, was a simple request.
The next order came from the Navy who wanted six Carriers. Chūji Machida agreed to construct them BUT only two at time. Of course, it was likely these Carriers, along with their CAGs, would likely NOT be ready for the Second Sino-Japanese war but there wasn’t much he could do about that without delaying one of the other orders.
At the bottom of the list were cargo ships and escorts for the convoys as well as anti-aircraft guns and new garrisons for the Pacific Islands.
The problem was, of course, noticed right away. The new orders changed the needs of the nation’s industry. The factories and ship builders and clothing shops and power plants needed even MORE resources than before.
So now everything was in the red even with the new trade agreements. The only thing in the green was the treasury. But the Minister of Armaments didn’t panic.
“Government isn’t a business,” he remarked to his subordinates. “Some things are going to be in the red. Calm down.”
Field Marshal Hideki Tojo was waiting in his inner office for the two other men. The room was cold. Being the southernmost city of the Liaondong Peninsula, right next to the Yellow Sea, did little to help with that. On top of that Hideki Tojo hated to waste coal just to keep the office warm. His duty kept him warm and he assumed everybody else could learn by his example. And of course nobody complained. He had a habit of slapping people.
The city of Dalian was a mixture of many styles of building. The British had occupied it in 1858 but later returned it to the Chinese. Then Japan took it in the first Sino-Japanese War, but the Triple Intervention by Russia, France, and Germany forced Japan to give it back. At which point Russia “coerced” a lease from the Qing Dynasty. The Russians built a modern port city on the spot and linked it to the Trans-Siberian Railway. As a ice-free port the Russians were very happy to get it. They were so proud they called it Port Arthur.
Then they lost to the Japanese in the Treaty of Portsmith after the Russo-Japanese War. A Treaty both sides had issues with. The irony.
The building his staff was occupying at the moment had been, at one time, had belonged to a Russian shipping company. He didn’t like the style but it served his purpose.
One of the men he was waiting for, Field Marshal Jirō Minami, had been in command of the North China Army. He still was. It had just been renamed “China Operations”.
Jirō Minami was a veteran of the Russo-Japanese and had even been part of the siege of Port Arthur which helped win the war. He had commanded many Cavalry Brigades and Divisions, had served in the Army General Staff, had been the War Minister during the Manchurian Incident, and even been the Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo at one point.
There was a knock on the door and one of Tojo’s clerks poked his head in and said, “Field Marshal Minami is here, sir.”
“Send him in,” ordered Tojo sternly.
As Minami entered the office Tojo bowed from his sitting position and gestured towards one of the two chairs before the desk. “Good to see you, Field Marshal. Walking through the streets must bring back memories.”
Minami sat down and nodded. “Mostly bad ones. I still remember being in the trenches wondering when one of those 500 pound shells would burst above me. Over fifty-seven thousand dead on our side to get this piece of ground.”
“Yes. It ended too soon,” remarked Tojo. “We should have received all of Siberia. Damn the Americans.”
Tojo, like most Japanese, had never forgiven the Americans for the Treaty of Portsmith. They had acted like a third party to help end the war. But the end result was the creation of a underlining Anti-American feeling towards the US among much of the Japanese populace.
On top of that Tojo had once visited the United States and his impression of them just added to the anger. He saw them as weak, uncontrollable, drunks. It didn’t help that he visited during Prohibition.
Minami glanced at the second chair as he sat down and placed his hat in his lap. “Who are we waiting for?”
“Field Marshal Toshizō Nishio,” replied Tojo. “He is now the newest commander of the Manchukio Operations. A new Army Group placed in the order of command between me and the Armies facing the Russians.”
“Good man?”
“Saw some combat in the Russo-Japanese war,” responded Tojo, “but mostly, since then, he has held training positions or staff jobs. BUT he is known for being a winter specialist.”
Minami grunted. “I can see how that will help up north.”
They chatted, mostly about the latest news as they waited for the third member of the meeting. Tojo was NOT good at small talk. But luckily for Minami, Field Marshal Nishio was on time and was shortly escorted into the office by the same clerk.
Both Tojo and Minami bowed from their sitting position as Nishio took the empty seat. He returned their bows with his own, plus a smile, as he placed his hat onto his lap.
“Make sure we are not disturbed,” stated Field Marshal Tojo as the clerk left.
As the door was closed Tojo turned to the two officers and said, “Field Marshal Nishio. Welcome back to China. I hope you had a good journey. Now, I don’t wish to seem rude. But what do you gentlemen think about the interesting plan we have here?”
“Well,” remarked Minami. “I have already found what may be a mistake in it. Why is Yongqing one of my objectives? It has nothing of value. The paperwork says it has airbases but none of my maps show that.”
Tojo nodded. “Yes, I think the Colonel who made the plan has confused Yongqing for Beijing.”
“We’ll want official conformation before we change the plan,” added Minami. “Could be he wants us to encircle it. Also, I noticed all the aircraft have been moved to the home islands. I thought they were only taking our Naval Bombers and Strategic Bombers?”
“They want to reorganize them into larger groups,” replied Tojo. “You’ll be assigned the Interceptors and Tactical Bombers when they are done with them. And as for the Strategic Bombers, well, nobody has Strategic Bombers.”
“I’m starting to worry about this plan,” grumbled Minami while tapping his hat.
“As am I,” remarked Nishio. “I have been given command over all the Armies along the border with the Comintern’s but for the Mongol Army. General Koiso seems to be under the command of the IGH. Is there a reason for that?”
“I believe they were worried about how many Armies you could handle at once,” stated Tojo with a frown. “Not sure why. At least they could have attached him to my HQ.”
“They gave me command of the Korean Army but not the Mongol Army?” commented Nishio with a shake of his head. “That makes no sense.”
“For a plan made within just two months it isn’t that bad. I dare say it could work,” pointed out Tojo. “As long as the Chinese decide to go along with it.”
The other two men nodded their heads in agreement. “Maybe we should send them a copy?” jested Minami.
“Maybe,” stated Tojo who had no sense of humor. “Now, before we start working on the details, who wants some tea?”
Both men knew better than to turn down the offer.
Colonel Shō-ichi Utsunimiya was happy to be back in Tokyo. The train trip back had been even somewhat enjoyable. Well, at least the car he had been in was heated and had been close to the dining car. And it helped that some of the female passengers liked men in uniform.
His apartment, while not much bigger than the room he had stayed at in the inn at Hiroshima, had been a welcomed sight. His own tiny kitchen, his own cheap little radio, his own restroom and his own tiny heater.
For some reason Utsunimiya had always enjoyed privacy a little more than most. Many Japanese just learned to ignore what was happening around them. In the crowded streets, small restaurants, pubic bathhouses, and apartment buildings with super-thin walls being able to create invisible, sound-proof, walls around yourself was a skill everybody learned. He had learned how to do it also as a child.
But sometimes he needed REAL privacy. Really space around him.
The best part was he had returned a day ahead of schedule which had given him one day to recover and prepare himself for his next meeting. And he needed the time. Because he knew the next meeting was going to be stressful.
The morning of the meeting Utsunimiya made sure to dress warmly, had a good breakfast, and made sure his papers were in order.
When he arrived at the gate protecting the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff Office he took a moment to adjust his cap and make sure he looked presentable before pulling out his papers and moving up to the guards.
The Imperial General Headquarters might be in Hiroshima but Field Marshal Ishiwara, wishing to be closer to the decision makers of the Imperial Government, had procured some offices in the Imperial Japanese Navy HQ. In other words he had asked, nicely, for some of the rooms in the Navy General Staff Office in Tokyo.
The Colonel was somewhat nervous to meet Field Marshal Kanji Ishiwara. The man was a ultranationalist who believed that it was Japan’s divine mission to take over China and he had helped organize the Manchurian Incident. Him getting this position had been one of the major reasons the Army had been willing to even approval of the whole idea of working along side the Navy.
The guards waved him through after checking his paperwork. The Naval staff was waiting for him and one of them guided him through the long hallways and confusing rooms to the area where the Field Marshal had set up his own offices.
There he was handed over to the Army personal and they, in turn, took him to the outer office of Field Marshal Ishiwara. He barely got there when the Field Marshal's secretary waved for him to enter the inner office.
"He said for you to enter the instant you arrived," the man said. The Colonel nodded and, after a polite knock, entered the office.
The office did NOT fit Field Marshal Kanji Ishiwara. The bookcases full of naval literature, the paintings of old sailing ships, and the battleship models which lined the room's walls. There was even, in one corner, a massive globe that was so big Utsunimiya wondered how it been brought into the room.
He bowed and sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Between the two chairs meant for visitors stood a small table onto which he placed his small brown briefcase and his hat. "Field Marshal, Colonel Shō-ichi Utsunimiya reporting for duty."
"Greetings. But you are no longer Colonel," replied the Field Marshal as he opened a drawer in the oversized desk. He pulled out a small leather pouch and a small case. He stood up and walked around the desk. Of course Shō-ichi Utsunimiya stood up also - one did not stay seated when approached by a superior.
The Field Marshal opened the case and showed him the insignia of three stars on a yellow background. It was missing the three thick red stripes of a Colonel's insignia like the ones currently on his shoulder straps. Instead there were two thin stripes the ran along the top and bottom. He was staring at a pair of General's insignias.
The Field Marshal handed him the case and the leather pouch. He then stood up ramrod straight and saluted him while saying, "General Shō-ichi Utsunimiya."
Utsunimiya returned the salute. He tried not to show too much emotion but his eyes did become a tad wet to his embarrassment.
The Field Marshal held out his right hand and shook the man's hand. "Welcome to the Imperial General Headquarters. The pouch holds the details of your new command. You can replace your old insignia's later."
The Field Marshal moved back to his chair behind the desk. "Besides the staff work which you will be doing to help me, and my officers, in organizing the Naval side of the upcoming war you are now in command of a newly formed Special Corps."
"Special Corps?" replied the brand NEW General as he sat down. "I did not realize I would have the honor of being in combat."
"It may be an honor or a disaster," responded the Field Marshal with an ironic smile. "You will be leading the invasion of Shanghai. Three Infantry Divisions, of different strengths, and the Imperial Guard Division. In between the planning and staff work you will also need to make sure your officers and men are prepared for the operation. In the end you will earn that promotion."
"Sir...did you say the Imperial Guard?"
The Field Marshal nodded as he pulled open a folder that had been on his desk. "Yes. THE Imperial Guard Division. The hope is a Corps should be enough to carry out Plan Two. Reinforcements COULD be sent if needed. Now, I suggest we start with the simpler details. Let's start with what to do with the Pacific Garrisons. Right?"
"Yes, Sir!" replied Utsunimiya as he opened his briefcase and pulled out his own notes.
Organizing the Garrisons were simpler than the rest of the Navy. Mostly there was little that could be done with them. The Divisions were scattered like some child had tossed the units all over the Pacific in some kind of rage. Many islands were protected by one-Brigade Divisions while others were protected by multiple Divisions.
Truk had two Divisions, for example, who were ordered to form into one. The same happened to the Divisions on the islands of Ponape, Eniwetok, and Saipan where they were formed into one unit. Of course all the new units were given Commanders.
The staff even found a three-Brigade Division on the Island of Mili without a Commander in charge. Of course a Commander was sent as soon as the paperwork could be processed.
By the 3rd of January Utsunimiya, as he started to receive the information on the Naval Fleets, Groups, and Flotillas, heard the rumors that the industry of Japan was barely functioning. It was supplying the people with the televisions, and phones, and cars they demanded and was also able to pump out the supplies needed by the military. But the factories producing the military orders for NEW war material had ground to a halt.
On top of that many of the units in the Army, and even a few in the Navy, were complaining about a lack of supplies. There were plenty of supplies but it wasn't reaching those who needed it.
Of course it didn't help that mainland Asia had horrible roads and few railroads. Luckily, Manchukuo and Korea were free of any freedom fighters to add to the problem. Most of them had been "weeded" out by the police or had simply fled years ago.
Utsunimiya dismissed the rumors. There was nothing he could do about the supply issues. He had to focus on the job he had been given.
The Navy's ships were slowly formed into three Task Groups, which had Carriers, and the 2nd Navy which were the leftover warships. Trying to find the right balance of capital ships and screening units took the longest times. The transports were split between two of the Task Groups.
Of course there was also the submarines who were grouped into three Flotillas. They worked best when on their own. They were rebased to ports nearer to what would be their future hunting grounds.
Utsunimiya spread the Navy over the ports of the home islands so they didn't eat into each other's supplies and fuel.
Then there were the Air Forces. Utsunimiya was somewhat shocked. He had not realized just how small the combined Air Forces were.
The Naval Bombers were formed into a Group and sent to the airbases in Naha, Okinawa.
Of course the Tactical Bombers were formed into two Air Groups of two Wings each and returned to the Army. The fifth Wing was held back so it could form up with the new Wing being produced. Utsunimiya suggested, and everybody agreed, that the third Tactical Air Group should be under control of the Navy for the operations against Nanjing.
As for the Interceptor Wings he was amazed to see they were made up of Kawasaki Ki-10s. Biplanes! Utsunimiya was sure they were superior to anything the Chinese had BUT it still looked weird to see them next to the other, more modern looking, aircraft.
So the offices were buzzing with activity for the first few weeks. The Field Marshal, his new General, and other Imperial General staff were working around the clock with only a few breaks to have a sandwich and, sometimes, enjoy some tea.
As Utsunimiya was taking one of these breaks, trying to shove a tuna sandwich down his throat without chewing, when he heard some news from another staff member. Seems Siam had offered to buy some rare materials from Japan and the Minister of Armaments had agreed to it. It seemed the Ministry of Armaments had plans for the growing treasury.
Then he heard something else about the Ministry of Armaments. It seems that they refused to do anymore upgrades. If you had a crappy rifle, too bad, learn to live with it. The men and resources were being put into Production. They had deadlines to meet and to heck with everything else.
By the 17th of January things had slowed down a tad. One of the last things Utsunimiya had approved was the handing of the Mongol Army over to the Kwantung Army Theater.
In fact Shō-ichi Utsunimiya was able to take half the day off. Being the afternoon of a Friday he was able to get a seat, easily, at the local movie theater. Most everybody else was still at work. It was a movie he had REALLY wanted to see. The movie, An Inn in Tokyo, was a silent film that had come out in November of last year. But he had been so busy he had failed to see it. Now that he had the free time he had decided to finally enjoy it.
His friends and coworkers had warned him it was boring. But he ignored them, made sure to get a seat up front, and found out they were right. The plot was centered on a father who needed a job and had to do with the ups and down of such a life. In the end the father resorted to stealing but then, after a scolding from another character, turned himself in to the police. A film about traditional values and a waste of his time.
As he walked out he wondered if the directors would EVER make movies for the newer generation. But before he could ponder this for very long he noticed something was going on at a nearby bar. There was a crowd around the entry and a lot of gesturing. Was it a fight?
He stepped up to the back of the crowd and asked, "What's going on?"
One of the men, looking somewhat excited, turned to Utsunimiya. He looked like a laborer from one of the docks. He gestured towards the bar like a puppet gone nuts as he said, "Germany has marched into the Rhineland with soldiers! There is talk about a European conflict! It was just announced on the radio!"
Utsunimiya blinked. Germany was REALLY flexing its military muscles? By remilitarizing the Rhineland it was violating both the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties. Germany had already violated the Treaty of Versailles last year by increasing the size of their army to over 100,000 men. Surely they would wait a little longer before going up against the French?
Utsunimiya went home and turned on his own radio. He soon found one of the news channels and listened for a few minutes. Soon he realized that the man at the bar was right. Germany, had indeed, decided to move troops into the Rhineland.
And the taking of the Rhineland, according to the Germans, was just a response to the French-Soviet Pact of 1935. But no matter how you looked at it Germany was playing a dangerous game. A very dangerous game.
As Utsunimiya switched the radio to his favorite music station and started making his dinner he wondered if Japan was also playing a very dangerous game.
