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while us lushes drink sake like fish and plot against the Army on those occasions we're not fighting each other.
As God the Divine Emperor intended! :p
 
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Chapter Seventy-Three : The Twenty-Fifth Week - 16.12.1937 To 22.12.1937
Utsunimiya’s War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Seventy-Three : The Twenty-Fifth Week - 16.12.1937 To 22.12.1937

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The Land War​

The two fronts, the one with the Nationalist’s and the one with the Communist’s, were both quiet. It was if the Imperia Japanese Army was taking a moment to recover. It was redeploying many of its units against the Reds and a few of the units along the western lines with the Republic were also being moved about.

There were SOME issues with supplies. And the Army Theaters were complaining about a lack of numbers - they always wanted more divisions. But overall everything seemed to be very calm.

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In fact, on the morning on the 17th of December, the 1 Hohei Shidan stopped marching towards Yan’an. Outside of a small drop in the supplies it was carrying nobody could explain why the infantry regiments had halted their march on the emptying enemy Capital.

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On the morning of the 18th the division continued its march westwards much to Utsunimiya’s relief.

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Around the same time the rest of the Army seemed to wake up and get back to work. A Mountain Division was sent into the Province of Weishan. Over eleven thousand mountaineers against around six thousand Nationalist militia.

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A few hours later a Japanese Infantry Division was sent into the Province of Jiawang. Nine thousand Japanese soldiers launching an assault on over twelve thousand Nationalist infantry. And a enemy HQ unit.

Then there was an announcement that the fuel stockpile was in the ‘Red’ again and would be empty within 27 days.

“And the Army thinks we can take on the Soviet Union,” murmured the General to himself. “Not in the state we are right now.”

On top of that the Chinese Bombers attacked the Japanese ground troops in the Province of Zouxian. They killed 24 soldiers. Then they got jumped by the Army Fighters. (See Air War)

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This did not slow down the Army. In the afternoon, shortly after lunch, a Cavalry Division and a Infantry Division attacked the Province of Yunxian on the western part of the Nationalist battle front. Almost thirty thousand Japanese soldiers against less than six thousand Nationalists.

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Then a Japanese Division attacked the Province of Dangshan. At this rate the eastern part of the Nationalist line would be collapsing unless the enemy found some reinforcements.

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As it started to get dark on the 18th news came of a victory. The Army had won the Province of Jiawang. The Japanese had lost 40 men while the Nationalists had lost 42 men. The small numbers suggested the bad condition the enemy troops must have been in.

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At this point the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to help in the push to knock back the Nationalist battle line by sending the 14. into Pixian. Within hours it was engaged in battle with a Nationalist militia unit.

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The next day, on the morning of the 19th, the Army announced a victory in the Province of Yunxian. The Army had lost only 19 men while the Nationalists lost 139. And now the enemy were in danger of having a hole in the western part of their lines.

It was also noticed that the fuel stockpile was back in the ‘Green’.

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Around breakfast time another announcement came over the wireless from the Army. Another victory. The Battle for Weishan had come to an end. The Japanese had lost 37 men while the Nationalists had lost 215 men.

At this time it was decided that the Province of Zhengzhou was far enough behind the friendly side of the lines to be taken off the list of Objectives.

Then the General was brought some news by a embarrassed staff officer early on the morning of the 20th.

“What’s wrong?” he asked before looking at the slip of paper. And moaning in disgust. “They moved too slowly!”

A Communist unit had slipped into Yan’an and was trying to defend the city. Luckily the attacking Japanese forces were finally working together as the Reds were being hit by TWO divisions.

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And that wasn’t all. The 7. Mongolian Cavalry had attacked Jingbian all by itself. Over eleven thousand cavalry against over thirty-eight thousand Communists. True the enemy was mostly HQ units and militia. But the battle was way too one-sided in the Communists’ favor.

There was no surprise when during the afternoon of the 21st the Army announced their defeat in Jingbian. They had lost 334 soldiers while the Communists had only lost 102 men.

And to the east, at the Battle of Pixian, a Nationalist Division had joined the battle. Which could easily turn the tide against the 16.

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On the 22nd, shortly before noon, the Army reported combat in the Province of Yunxian. The Nationalist defenders, a Police Unit, numbered only above five thousand against the nine thousand Infantry. Looks like the police had wandered in by accident and slammed into the advancing Japanese soldiers.

The battle ended by noon. The Japanese lost 3 men while the Nationalist lost 2 men.

By the end of the seven days it was clear the Nationalist units were being pushed southwards. Lack of supplies or not the Japanese Army would not be held back any longer. The Communists on the other hand seemed to be holding their own.

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The Army claimed fours victories and tried to play down the defeat. They also tried to brush off the fact that they had failed to take the Red Capital before it could be reoccupied by enemy soldiers.

At the end of the seven days, due to Land Combat, the Japanese Imperial Army had lost 433 soldiers. The same period the Nationalists had lost 398 and the Communists had only lost 102.

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The Air War​

The Army Bombers Groups were very active during this time period.

Together the two Groups launched a Ground Attack on Wuqi on the 17th in which they killed 294 Communists.

They attacked Wuqi early the next morning, on the 18th, in which they killed another 206 enemy soldiers.

On the early morning of the 19th the Bombers were back. They blasted at the infantry positions below and killed another 248 Communist soldiers.

Then on the 20th, once again in the early morning, the Communists were rudely awaken to more bombs dropping onto their tents and makeshift huts. The Army Bomber Groups killed another 248 enemy soldiers

Then the Army’s Bombers switched targets by launching a Ground Attack on the Province of Jingbian only a few hours later. Likely trying to help their comrades on the ground deal with the overwhelming force of defenders. They were able to kill 301 Communist defenders. Mostly militia.

On the 21st the Army Bombers then hit the Communists Mountain Brigades who had moved into Yan’an. They were able to kill 199 of the enemy defenders.

A few hours later they switched back to bombing Wuqi. Maybe trying to stop any more forces from moving into the Red’s Capital. They killed another 306 Communists soldiers.

And a few hours after that they hit the Province of Jingbian again. Killing another 188 enemy soldiers.

The next day, on the 22nd, the hit the Province of Yan’an again. Sadly, the pilots reported another enemy division had entered the city. The bombs killed another 292 enemy defenders.

A few hours later they were blasting the enemy units in Wuqi. Which killed another 258 Communists.

By the evening of the 22nd Utsunimiya was impressed. The Army Bomber Groups were working together and even trying to help the ground operations. If only the rest of the Imperial Japanese Army tried to coordinate like that. It was as if the Army Bomber Groups had learned something from being under the Navy’s control?

On the 18th the Army Fighter Wings who had been moved closer to the front, being based in Jinan, finally proved their worth by pouncing on the Chinese Bombers as they entered the airspace over the Japanese side of the front. Sadly they failed to stop the bombing run. (See Land War)

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The Navy War​

The Navy’s Bomber Groups were continuing to blast the targets that had been assigned. Even if it was at a reduced rate.

The factories and stockpiles in the Province of Hefei was bombed fourteen times. The Naval Bombers were attacked on the 21st by a Wing of Chinese Fighters but the enemy failed to stop the Japanese pilots on their mission.

The factories and stockpiles in the enemy’s capital Province of Nanjing were hit fourteen times.

Even with the decrease in the Strategic Bombing Missions the Nationalists weren’t able to repair their industry in those two major provinces. Yes, they had some material available but no factories in those regions to do anything with the war material.

Of course the CAGs continued to bomb the enemy formations.

The Province of Shenxian was bombed twenty-eight times and 496 Nationalist soldiers were killed.

The Province of Yong’an was bombed fourteen times and 965 enemy soldiers were killed.

And the Province of Xiaoshan was bombed fourteen times and 288 Nationalist soldiers were killed. Including some horses.

The Navy’s Carrier based aircraft were praised for their protection of the occupied ports. It was believed that it was their blasting of the Nationalist ground troops that kept the enemy from properly launching assaults on those positions. Though the numbers of enemy soldiers killed had dropped. But this was to be expected with the decrease in missions.

On the other hand both the Army and the Navy were criticized for allowing the Chinese Air Force to survive for so long.

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Misc. Events​

Of course the big issue was, once again, how fast the fuel was being used up by the military. There were deals made with Haiti, the Netherlands, and Cuba but in the end the fuel situation seemed to fix itself. The changes made to the Air operations and Naval operations seemed to be working with only a few issues here and there when air activity was high.

By the end of the seven day period the Head of Intelligence announced that the US had captured one Japanese agent, Brazil had captured two Japanese agents, Nationalist China had captured one Japanese agent, Guangxi Clique had captured two Japanese agents,

But in return Japan had captured a spy from Communist China, and a spy from the Philippines, and a spy from Nationalist China, a spy from Xibei San Ma, a spy from Mongolia, and a spy from Germany.

Of course the Japanese government demanded the return of the innocent tourists while refusing to return the ‘gangsters’ they had ‘arrested’. Neither side believed the other but there was little anybody could do about it.

---

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General Sho-ichi Utsunimiya glanced at the calender on his desk and sighed. The war in China had started in July and was meant to end sometime in September or October. It was in the sixth month and while it LOOKED like the Chinese were running out of steam he had thought that very same thought many times over the past two months.

Outside the hotel the Naval had set up as his headquarters was a very busy city. Shanghai was full of soldiers, sailors, and staff of the Japanese military doing their best to keep the port running smoothly. Supplies had to be shipped to the divisions protecting the foothold while resources were shipped out.

Chinese labor, mostly in the form of prisoners of war, loaded and unloaded cargo ships under the watchful eye of stern faced Marines.

And of course the airfields were heavily protected. Nobody who wasn’t part of the military was allowed near the aircraft, their hangers, or the runways.

The citizens of the city had returned back to something that could almost be called a normal life. Some items were hard to get but power had been brought back to most of the city and food was available. Some restaurants and theaters had reopened. The streets were busy and the crowds seemed docile. Some of the General's men even had girlfriends.

The General had visited some of the restaurants and a few of the theaters. They were nice but he was becoming homesick. Letters from his parents comforted him but also made his wish to return home all the greater.

Most the populace seemed tame, even friendly sometimes, but a few had that guarded look in their eyes. Many of them, such as the businessmen and shop owners, didn’t care who was in charge as long as the profits came in. Many Chinese cities and ports had been occupied on and off by dozens of foreign nations. The Chinese had come to take such things with a gain of salt and just live their lives as best they could.

But some of them still held that spark of independent. Some of them wanted a free China and believed in the Nationalist cause. That was why the local police had been paired up with members of the Garrison. And why Military Police also helped ‘run’ many of the police stations.

The General knew if the populace sensed a weakness they would likely try to take back their city. If only the war had ended on time!

“The next time we go to war,” he said to himself, “we need to plan this better. Focus on ONE goal at a time.”
 
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By the evening of the 22nd Utsunimiya was impressed. The Army Bomber Groups were working together and even trying to help the ground operations. If only the rest of the Imperial Japanese Army tried to coordinate like that. It was as if the Army Bomber Groups had learned something from being under the Navy’s control?

We know what do to, but were handicapped by the Army's illimitable incompetence. While the faults of the Navy are innumerable, they do have some semblance of a clue as to how to wage war.
 
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Trust the army to delay taking the Communist capital.
 
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A Mountain Division was sent into the Province of Weishan. Over eleven thousand cavalry against around six thousand Nationalist militia.
I swear Utsunimiya is mixing up Mountain Infantry and Cavalry on purpose now.

It was as if the Army Bomber Groups had learned something from being under the Navy’s control?
Even Utsunimiya is starting to think Army personnel could learn something from the Navy. That said, outside of the Army Air Force, there don't seem to be a lot of people in the IJA with the mental capacity to learn things, so the Navy's teachings may still be wasted on the majority of them.

While the faults of the Navy are innumerable, they do have some semblance of a clue as to how to wage war.
Coming from an eccentric proponent of an independent Air Force, this is high praise. As I understand it this is really a statement of the IJN's fundamental soundness, despite some recent questionable choices. (Like scrapping the Battleship programme entirely, not even keeping alive the knowledge needed to build a modern Battleship if it were to be needed.)

The Army's incapability to take Yan'an out of the Communist's hands remains baffling. I have been wrongly made out to be a communist sympathiser before. I'd argue that those Army officers wasting time outside Yan'an are definitely Communist sympathisers. I'd expect they hope to drag out the conflict until Nationalist China falls, and they hope the IJN will get the Army to sign a white peace with the Communists or something. They are sorely mistaken. I may have been opposed to the timing of the attack on Communist China, but now that we have kicked in the door we must win. The honour of the Emperor is at stake. Communist China's continued existence would also be threatening our Chinese territory and Chinese puppet governments once we win this war. I must say that if the Nationalist Chinese surrender before the Army occupies Yan'an, no one will be able to say with a straight face that the IJA is anything but woefully incompetent.

I must say, the steady progress on the rest of the front was long overdue. At least we're getting somewhere, and Nationalist China might be forced to surrender before the end of the decade.

Captain RobaS3,

Whistling the Kimigayo while he patiently moves the piece of string that's pinned to his map of china, just a little bit, in Japan's favour. If things continue to go well he'll have to buy a new map of china for his office, and that just warms his heart.
 
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Chapter Seventy-Four : Pskov, USSR - 23.12.1937
Utsunimiya’s War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Seventy-Four : Pskov, USSR - 23.12.1937

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The skies above were clear of clouds but the frozen ground and the negative temperature made it very clear that winter had come to the Province of Pskov.

The stern faced Russian officer marched over the cleared pathway towards his headquarters. A small building, built to keep in the heat and keep out the cold. Behind him, about a hundred miles to the southwest was the Russian border. And across it were two nations. One was Estonia and the other was Latvia.

The 10th Corps, with its two divisions of three Rifle Regiments each, would likely be part of the force to liberate those nations from their ‘Capitalist Rulers’.

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And Lt. General Dimitri Eurasia was looking forward to it. In fact he was looking forward to freeing Europe of the ‘Monsters’ they called leaders.

True, much of the USSR’s attention was focused on the Second Sino-Japanese War. But his attention was towards the west.

The Guards saluted the Lt. General as he entered the building. He didn’t even seem to notice them but they knew better than to not salute. Men had been punished for less.

Lt. General entered his office and tossed his winter coat onto a nearby chair and quickly checked his inbox for mail.

The man was somewhat young for his rank but many officers had advanced in rank after the “Reorganizing Of The Officer Corps”. In fact the event had caused some confusion which was still having ill effects on the Red Army.

In fact all the positions above him were still empty. But luckily, Stalin was not just was not just the Head of the Government but also Chief of the Army. So everybody knew that the Red Army was in good hands.

The Lt. General glanced to the wall behind his desk to see the smiling photo of Stalin looking down at him.

“Soon Europe and Asia will be one,” he promised his Great Leader. “Just as once people called both of them Eurasia, the surname my Great Grandfather took when he brought his family to Russia, so will they call them Eurasia again.”

Yes, everything was in very good hands.
 
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“And the Army thinks we can take on the Soviet Union,” murmured the General to himself. “Not in the state we are right now.”
I swear Utsunimiya could see the words "The IJA are dishonourable fools who should be disbanded." written in 80ft high letters of fire on the side of Mount Fuji and still fail to understand what must be done, such is his staggering ability to see constant Army incompetence in front of his eyes and never learn anything from it.

Let me make it clear - the IJA will never be in state to take on the Soviet Union. The IJA leadership has learnt nothing from China as not only are they still making the same old mistakes, they are now making brand new ones. The brave and honourable Japanese people under the divine and wise leadership of the Emperor can undoubtedly defeat the communist hordes, but not if all their efforts are ruined by the relentless stupidity and failures of the IJA and the traitorous fools they call generals.
 
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Lt. General Eurasia... interesting. Maybe this guy will make an appearance in 'Odin' once I get around to writing and posting the next update...
 
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Chapter Seventy-Five : The Reds Fall - 23.12.1937 To 29.12.1937
Utsunimiya’s War
(HoI3 TFH - Interactive Japan AAR)
Chapter Seventy-Five : The Reds Fall - 23.12.1937 To 29.12.1937

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The Land War​

The Imperial Japanese Army started the twenty-sixth week of the conflict engaged in three battles. The Battle of Yan’an, which was the most important one, the Battle of Dangshan and the Battle of Pixian.

The Battle of Yan’an was becoming a real nail biter as a Japanese mountain division and a Japanese infantry division went up against a Communist mountain division. Both sides also had reserves. The Japanese had a cavalry division and the Communists had a militia unit.

The Japanese DID have a huge advantage as they also had air support. But there was the danger of even more Red units pouring in from the nearby Provinces.

The Battle of Dangshan was, in some ways, even more uncertain. While the Japanese infantry was facing only one Nationalist division there was two enemy divisions in reserve.

And in the Battle of Pixian the Navy directed 16. Infantry Division was facing two enemy units.

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Then, during the late afternoon of the 23rd of December, the Battle of Dangshan came to a close with a clear Japanese victory. The Army lost 318 soldiers while the Nationalists lost 659 men.

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A few hours later the Army sent a infantry division into the Province of Suixi to take it away from the Nationalist militia unit which was guarding it.

By the 24th there was some reports of supply issues but it seemed to be only a couple of units complaining. Not that there was anything that could be done about it. It was the state of the Chinese roads that was causing the problems and those roads could not be improved on til after the war ended.

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Then during the early morning hours of the 24th the Army announced another victory. The Battle of Suixi had come to an end with the Army losing 15 men while the Nationalists had lost 77 men.

Then it was announced on the 25th that, once again, fuel was starting to be used up faster than it could be produced. At this point no amount of wheeling and dealing would solve the problem. It would run out or it wouldn’t. And the Army pointed out just how much oil was for the taking in the Soviet Far East while the Navy pointed at the South Pacific and it’s resource rich islands.

Then the Battle of Yan’an came to an end that morning. There was no formal announcement. Under the bomber attacks and the assault by three Japanese divisions the enemy fell apart and became a mob. The Communist forces just tossed their weapons to one side and ran. The city now belonged to the Japanese. (OOC)

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Three Communist militia units, no doubt sent as reinforcements before the collapse,tried to take back the Capital but the Japanese Division, the 1. Hohei Shidan, held it and pushed them back. About eight thousand Japanese soldiers pushed back over twenty-nine thousand Communists. And won. The Japanese lost zero men while the three enemy units lost 3 men.

Reports from the Army stated that the enemy’s Capital was a total mess. All the factories were ruins, the Land Forts had been cracked open like egg shells, and the infrastructure was nonexistent. The Province would have to be rebuilt if it was going to be useful to anybody.

The Communists were desperate to retake Yan’an. Without their factories, stockpiles, and treasury there was no way for them to continue their fight.

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On the other hand it was almost like the victory had gone to the Army’s head as they launched a single division attack, once again, on the Province of Jingbian. Which held over thirty-seven thousand enemy soldiers. It COULD be that the nearby Japanese forces were trying to pin down the Communists so they could not try to retake the Capital?

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At the same time, to the east, the Army sent a lone division into the Province of Fuyang. This attack was a tad more realistic as the province was defended by a militia unit.

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Shortly after lunch they launched a third attack. The 8. Cavalry Division was sent into the Province of Lingbi. The defenders were the 6th Corps HQ. A bunch of staff officers and their clerks. It was noticed that many of the remaining enemy units defending the line for the Republic were militia OR HQ units. Most of which were already withdrawing. Much of their infantry divisions were to the south trying to contain the Navy's footholds.

A few hours later the Battle of Lingbi was a victory. Neither side lost any men. It was likely the Chinese fired off a few shots and then ran.

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Around sunset the Army announced another victory in the Province of Fuyang. 9 Japanese soldiers died while the Nationalists lost 74 men.

At this point most of the Nationalist’s eastern battle line was falling back.

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On the 26th of December the People’s Republic of China officially surrendered to the Empire of Japan. The Communists realized they could not fight any longer and gave up. The territories were annexed and then there was only one enemy.

At the same time the Battle of Jingbian was announced as a victory. It seems the Communists troops, hearing their government had fallen, fled. The Army lost 138 while the enemy left 49 bodies on the battlefield.

Also the 71. Hohei Shidan, a Garrison Division, had finished their training and had been deployed to the Port of Sasebo. There the unit was loaded onto the Transports of the 1st Navy and were ordered to the Port of Tianjin. There the unit could deploy to Yan’an which would become their home for the next few years.

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Back in Nationalist China the enemy started a battle in the Province of Lingbi. Likely a accident as two enemy divisions passed through the region and ran into the Japanese cavalry Reports suggested the two units had no organization and had been in the process of retreating.

It ended in victory in which neither side lost a man.

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Then during the late afternoon of the 26st the Army announced another victory. The Battle of Pixian had finally come to an end. The Japanese lost 412 while the Nationalists had lost 528 men.

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Then, shortly before midnight, another Battle for Lingbi broke out. This time another Nationalist HQ unit got into a fight with the advancing cavalry.

A few hours into the 27th the Battle of Lingbi was announced as another victory. Once again neither side lost a man as the Chinese ran for it.

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Early in the morning the 16. finally occupied the Province of Pixian. There was a discussion among the Naval advisers that the next target should be the Province of Lianyungang. It was right next door and one of the two remaining ports still controlled by the Nationalists. The only problem was the need for the division to recover. Which could take over three days.

The 71. Garrison Division was finally unloaded at the Port of Tianjin and started the LONG march towards Yan’an. The 1st Navy, of course, started their return journey to their home port.

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During the afternoon of the 27th the Battle of Xinyang started when two Army divisions clashed with a Nationalist Infantry Division.

This news was somewhat overshadowed when it was announced that the Port of Fuzhou was under attack. (See Navy War)

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In the early twilight of the morning of the 28th the Battle of Xinyang came to an end. The Army declared a victory. They lost 25 men while the Chinese lost 123 men.

In the afternoon a battle started in the Province of Xuzhou between a Japanese divisions and a Nationalist HQ unit. The ‘Battle’ lasted a few hours before the Army claimed it as a victory. Neither side lost a man as the Chinese fled before any shots were exchanged.

In the early hours of the 29th the 1st Navy finally docked at their home port of Sasabo.

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In the afternoon the Army announced another battle. A Infantry Division had been sent into the Province of Hancheng. The defending unit, a militia division, was outnumbered and had a Chinese Major General without a ounce of skill. Another political appointee no doubt.

At the end of the seven day period the Arm claimed twelve victories (even though many of the battles had been tiny skirmishes) and also declared that it had finally defeated the Communists.

Of course the Pro-Navy press pointed out how much of the defeat of the Communists were due to the Navy’s control of the Army Air Groups.

In the Land Combat of the last seven days the Army lost 917 soldiers while the Nationalists lost 1,461 men and the Communist lost 52 men and their country.

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The Air War​

The Army Air Groups continued their Ground Attacks on the Communist province. After their last attack on Yan’an, on the night of 22nd, where they killed 161 of the defenders they hit it again on the 23rd and killed another 171 enemy defenders.

They were back on the 24th and killed another 135 Communists.

When they hit it on the morning of the 25th the crews reported that the militia who remained in the Capital were on the verge of fleeing. They were disorganized mobs, without ammo or leadership, barely being kept in their trenches. In this last attack on Yan’an they killed 234 defenders.

With the fall of Red China the Army Groups were returned to their airbases in Beiping and transferred from direct control of the Imperial General Headquarters to the control of the Kwantung Army Theater.

The four Wings of Kawasaki Ki-48s needed repair and the crews needed rest. It had been decided to allow them some time off before handing them back to the HQ of ‘China Operations’.(1)

This MAY also be the reason the fuel shortage wasn’t an issue later in the time period - the Army’s bombers was not using it up.

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The Navy War​

The Navy’s Bombing Groups continued their attacks on the Provinces of Hefei and Nanjing. Though there was very little to bomb at this point. The Province of Hefei was hit thirteen times while the Province of Nanjing was also hit thirteen times.

On the 27th, while the Naval Bombers were carrying out their eighth bombing run on Hefei during this seven day time period, they were jumped by the remaining Wing of Chinese Fighters. And the bombers were defeated and forced to flee.

They were attacked again on their tenth bombing run on the 28th by the Chinese Fighters. This time the attack was, at best, a draw as the bombers brushed off the attackers and escaped.

This, of course, forced the Navy to take a long, hard look at their Naval Bombers. The Mitsubishi G3M Chukou were good planes. But using them to bomb ports and urban centers was NOT what they had been designed for. Also, they were first generation aircraft with limited range when compared to other Japanese bombers. The Fighters, Carrier Air Groups, and Tactical Bombers were all second generation.

The Navy was forced to admit to itself that newer Naval Bombers were needed. Also, it was suggested that in future wars the Naval Bombers stick to attacking targets at sea. The crews of the 5. Nihon Koukuujieitai were gaining all the WRONG skills. While Major General Watanaba was a Superior Air Tactician he, and his men, were also becoming pros at carpet bombing and tank busting. Not really useful against battleships and submarines.

The Carrier Air Groups, on the other hand, seemed to control the skies over their targets without a problem.

The Province of Yong’an was bombed five times and 334 Nationalist Cavalry were killed. Along with their poor horses. On the 27th the CAG Wings involved in the bombing of this province switched to bombing the Province of Ningde. Ningde was attacked seven times and 315 Nationalist Infantry were killed. This proved to be very helpful. (See Below)

The Province of Shenxian was bombed twenty-eight times and 507 Nationalist Infantry were killed.

The Province of Xiaoshan was bombed fourteen times and 360 Nationalist Infantry were killed.

Then on the afternoon of the 27th of December the Japanese occupied Port-Province of Fuzhou was attacked by two Nationalist Infantry Divisions. Eleven thousand attackers against over eight thousand Japanese soldiers. The Japanese had a few advantages. One, they were dug in. Two, the winter weather was causing the attackers problems - some of the ground was frozen. And they were about to get Naval support as the 1st Task Group was ordered to leave port so it could get into a better position to rain death onto the attackers. By night fall it was anchored off shore and the two battleships were firing their big guns on the attackers.(2)

Also one of the attacking units was in the Province of Ningde. Which was already under attack from the Akagi’s aircraft.

Major General Shibazaki, a Commando by training, was very confident that the 52. could easily hold the Port even while outnumbered and outflanked.

In fact by night fall of the 29th there was no sign he was wrong. He and his men were well positioned, well supplied via the sea, and had heavy support from the Navy.

At the end of the seven day period the Navy didn’t try to downplay their Naval Bombers’ defeat but accepted that changes needed to be done to the Naval Bomber Group.

On the other hand they, once again, pointed out just how much damage they were doing to the Republic’s ‘Revolutionary’ Army and how unlikely they would lose the Port of Fuzhou. This was the second attack on a Port by the Nationalists and it was believed that it, like the first attack, would fail.

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Misc. Events​

While the fuel issue, by the 29th, seemed to work itself out there was still some international Trade Deals made, and broken, during the seven days, between the 23rd of December and the 29th of December. Trade Agreements, for example, were made with Persia and Afghanistan. While the US and Mexico canceled Trade Agreements with Japan.

And on the 27th Germany asked Japan to join the Axis. At this point such requests were starting to feel awkward. Of course it was refused though many within the government realized that, in the end, Germany might be the only choice between the three developing factions. Of course there was always the fourth way - that of going it alone.

It was also noticed that countries in Europe and Asia were breaking off relationships with Germany and were leaning towards the Comintern.

By the end of the week the Head of Intelligence reported that the US had captured one of our agents, that the Guanqxi Clique had captured four of our agents, the Communist Chinese had captured one of our agents, that the Canadians had captured one of our agents, and that the Nationalist Chinese had captured one of our agents.

But also announced that one spy from the USSR had been captured, one spy from Mongolia had been captured, and one spy from Nationalist China had been captured.

There was a joke among the Army and Navy that the Intelligence folks should recruit their new agents from the people of the nation of Guanqxi Clique.

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Author’s Notes:

OOC: The Communist divisions in Yan’an lost their organization and just disappeared. No formal announcement of the ending of the battle was made. Just *poof* they were gone.

1. They were at half organization and truly needed some R&R. It was feared that the HQ in China might just throw them into battle without allowing time for a proper refit and rest.

2. Naval crews were trained for night fighting.
 
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The Communists defeated at last. It took a while, but IJA stubborness eventually paid off?
 
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OOC - Behind The Scenes 2
OOC - Behind The Scenes 2​


Hello folks,

Decided to make another behind the scenes chapter. Not really spoilers but some people might not wish to peek-

The Two Republics before the end of the last chapter.
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The next Election in the US, in 1940, might be interesting. But Germany may mess things up for me if, or when, they invade Poland.
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The War by the end of the last chapter.
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When peeking at Russia for my 'Eurasia' chapter I noticed that, indeed, the USSR was influencing Japan! Which explains why we have Japanese Communists. I mean, we have some to start of with but they have grown in numnbers. Of course, this does not mean some of the Advisors are Communist spies. Well, @Bullfilter might be. So keep an eye on him.
 
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The Communists defeated at last. It took a while, but IJA stubborness eventually paid off?
Yeah, in my test game I waited till after the fall of Nationalist China before declaring war on the Reds. The reason I didn't this time was because in the test game the Japanese Army was caught too far away when I declared the war and I had to move in my Special Corps to handle the war till they could get their act together. But by declaring war on them the second Shanxi fell, in this game, the Army divisions were right THERE! But it also meant those divisions, that in the test game helped overwhelm the Nationalists, were now occupied elsewhere. 6 of one half a dozen of the other. But in the test game the Second Sino-Japanese War didn't last till 1938!

On the other hand this extended war is good for the industry which is now on a wartime footing. Not to spoil anything but soon one of the new Aircraft Carriers will be launched.
 
When peeking at Russia for my 'Eurasia' chapter I noticed that, indeed, the USSR was influencing Japan! Which explains why we have Japanese Communists. I mean, we have some to start of with but they have grown in numnbers. Of course, this does not mean some of the Advisors are Communist spies. Well, @Bullfilter might be. So keep an eye on him.

Nah. Its not Russians, its just the Navy being a bunch of Battleship humpers who want to ferment a communist revolution!! AND WE NEED TO DO A PURGE OF COMMUNISTS IN THE NAVY LIKE YESTERDAY

:p
 
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After those many missed opportunities at taking Yan'an, I must admit that I found it's capture to be somewhat anti-climactic. Of course, we should congratulate the Army for beating a bunch of lightly armed farmers, and only taking so many months to do it. For once, and it pains me to say this, I may have overestimated their incompetence. I must stress that this, by no means, means that they are anything close to competent, let alone to the IJN's standards. They have simply proved to be slightly better than my expectations, which have been lowered so many times since the start of the war that when looked at from the level of my expectations for the IJA, competence is but a tiny flickering star, lightyears away.

As for the Navy's part. I must say that the IJN could definitely use some new Naval Bombers. Of course, they were never intended to hit targets inland, and thus aren't as protected as they might have been if they had been designed with strategic bombing in mind. As for the crews learning the wrong kinds of skills. It's not like the Chinese navy still presents targets for them to become experts at Naval Strikes. They are gaining experience, and if the IJN is to deploy it's own troops in opposed landings, our pilots will be quite well-versed in how to hit enemy ground troops. Knowledge picked up in aiming their bombs at factories (Carpet Bomber) should also help them target Naval Base infrastructure when performing port strikes.

The attack on Fuzhou doesn't seem too worrying for now, thanks to those big Battleship guns. I'll take this opportunity to once again point out that these Battleships will not be around forever, these things have a shelf life. At some point, they will have to be replaced, and as we are expanding the Navy's capacity to project Airpower, there will be a larger need for big guns to support amphibious landings, and/or to deal with naval threats. Of course, we're also going to need more Marines.

Now, about those accusations of Communist spies in the IJN, that's simply outrageous. The only people in the Navy I'd believe to be Communist spies are those that agreed to fire all our Battleship designers. That just seems an awful lot like sabotage, and it's also likely beyond the capacity of the IJA to pull off.

I would ramble on, but my wife awaits me in the tea room,

Captain RobaS3,
Placing a small Japanese flag on his map of china, to mark the Japanese victory over the Communists, before making his way to the tea room.

OOC:
Major General Watanaba
This made me look up the rank structure of the Japanese Armed services. Rather remarkably, for services embroiled in an intense rivalry, their rank structures are very similar, and unlike western counterparts, they didn't have ranks like Admiral, Rear-Admiral etc. vs General, Major General etc. Instead they had a prefix, so the top Navy ranks were:
Kaigun-shōshō (RADM), Kaigun-chūjō (VADM), Kaigun-taishō (ADM), Gensui-kaigun-taishō (Grand/Fleet ADM).
Army ranks just used Rikugun in place of Kaigun.
Rikugun-Shōshō (MAJGEN), Rikugun-Chūjō (LTGEN), Rikugun-Taishō (GEN), Gensui-Rikugun-Taishō (Field Marshall).
The Emperor holds both the ranks of Daigensui-kaigun-taishō (Lord High Admiral of the Japanese Empire) and Daigensui-Rikugun-taishō (General Marshall of the Japanese Empire).
IMO, this means that 'Navy Major General' is an adequate translation of Watanaba's rank, which is that of Kaigun-shōshō. (If he is indeed a MAJGEN level officer in the IJN Air Service) That said, the translation 'Rear Admiral' is probably more appropriate with regards to anglosaxon rank structures. I'm no expert in Japanese, feel free to correct me on this.
 
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The fall of Maoist China is good news even though the Army managed it despite themselves. Who knows, maybe it will dawn on them at some point that these forces are now free to help out with the Nationalists?

The 71. Garrison Division was finally unloaded at the Port of Tianjin and started the LONG march towards Yan’an.

You're quite the glutton for punishment, eh?


The four Wings of Kawasaki Ki-48s needed repair and the crews needed rest.

It is hardly surprising that Navy would treat our people and equipment like rented mules. While the recuperation is welcome, the prospect of going back to the logistics challenged Army feels rather like exchanging cyanide for strychnine.


By the end of the week the Head of Intelligence reported that the US had captured one of our agents, that the Guanqxi Clique had captured four of our agents, the Communist Chinese had captured one of our agents, that the Canadians had captured one of our agents, and that the Nationalist Chinese had captured one of our agents.

The Army and the Navy will on the odd occasion manage a flash of something vaguely resembling competence, however fleeting it may be. On the other hand the Intelligence Service removes all guesswork. You KNOW you get world class incompetence at ALL times.

There was a joke among the Army and Navy that the Intelligence folks should recruit their new agents from the people of the nation of Guanqxi Clique.

Correction : The joke is His Majesty should hire the Guanqxi Clique to run the Intelligence Service.


Now, about those accusations of Communist spies in the IJN, that's simply outrageous.

Thou dost protest too much! :p
 
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Dear folks,

I have to say that without your postings and interaction this AAR would be so frustrating. Not as frustrating as the American AAR....but still a little frustrating. In this times it is your humor and clear enjoyment of my AAR which makes it worth doing. Outside of the fact I also want to see how far I can take Japan before I get crushed.
 
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Probably pretty far, given how anemic the response usually is from the Americans.
 
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Probably pretty far, given how anemic the response usually is from the Americans.
Ah, but see, in a normal AAR you'd be right, but this is a Eurasia AAR which means we will get to watch helplessly as the AI struggles to figure out what a "nave all in vazhun" is. :p
 
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