Phi-Fic Chapter 1094: No Mobilization
Chapter 1094: No Mobilization
A perfectly good mobilization meeting turned into a nightmare as many people looked scared by the end. Can you say that the 72nd Army, which fought in the Battle of Pujiang, wasn't an elite force?
Could an elite force have held out for so long? The Japanese troops fighting in the Huangpu River knew very well that recently, the headquarters had provided them with planes and artillery as they requested, and even transferred their only tank brigade there. This was considered the strongest combat group in all of Japan.
But what was the final result? The daily casualty figures were frightening. Even General Matsui was skeptical about the war. Before the war, General Matsui and his men had been touting the importance of the Huangpu River, saying that even if the entire dispatched army was wiped out, they would still take the Huangpu River.
But during the battle, they no longer had the courage. Too many people were dying every day. It was said that the sheer amount of white cloth transported to Huangpu River astonished those in the rear. Were our people lined up to be killed by the enemy after arriving in Huangpu River? Otherwise, why would so many shrouds be needed? How did these people die?
Now, due to the news of the Empire's reinforcements, the National Government is no longer prepared to resist. Unexpectedly, this is a bad thing for us. The various units of the 72nd Army left in Pujiang need to go somewhere. At this time, Shandong Province in the north is their destination. Doesn't that mean that the enemy in front of us has been strengthened in an epic way?
Lieutenant General Kanto Heiji didn't even know how he got from the meeting room to his office. He felt weak in the knees. He had intended to boost the morale of his men and help them overcome their fear from the previous period, but after Lieutenant General Sakamoto's analysis, it seemed that they were even more afraid.
"Commander, I misspoke just now."
Division Commander Sakamoto understood that his words had frightened his colleagues.
The commander gave this guy a speechless look. "So you know where you went wrong? I finally managed to organize my thoughts and was preparing to revitalize these guys, but because of your analysis, they've lost even more fighting spirit."
If someone else had said these words, they would probably have been taken away by the military police by now. What you said is clearly disrupting everyone's fighting spirit. Now even the morale of the army is unstable. If you are not dealt with, how will the Second Army ever be able to unite its troops in the future?
But this old guy in front of you is no ordinary person; he's a well-known figure in the entire Japanese Army. If you were to punish him because of his correct analysis, you, who have just taken office as commander of the Second Army, might have someone report you to Army Headquarters tomorrow. These senior division commanders have many connections back home; don't underestimate someone like him.
"What are you saying, Sakamoto-kun? Your analysis is correct. I was wrong about this matter; my staff officer was wrong. We didn't analyze it in that depth. You deserve credit for this. If it weren't for your analysis, we might have made a big mistake for a long time to come. You saved the Second Army."
Guanting Pingzhi said in self-criticism that although he was unwilling to admit it, there was indeed a reason for this. If everyone was optimistic about the war, then in the next period of time, when the troops in Pujiang withdrew from the south, this blow might not be something the Second Army could withstand.
"Your Excellency Commander..."
Division Commander Sakamoto came to apologize, but he didn't expect the Commander to be so generous. Instead of blaming him, the Commander praised him, leaving the man feeling flattered.
Ignorant brute!
This is the commander's evaluation of Division Commander Sakamoto. What can I say at this point? Should I say that you just disrupted morale? If that gets out, it will show that I, the commander, am incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. If those people behind you start gossiping, I might lose my newly acquired official hat.
"You can't just ask questions, you have to give answers too. This could be a tough test for our Second Army. I'd like to hear your opinion: what strategy should our Second Army adopt at this stage? If their troops in Pujiang retreat north, how many men would we need to stop them?"
The reason why Your Excellency the Commander didn't curse is also because you wanted to hear this old devil's advice. Under the current circumstances, you are the one who put this problem on the table, but you can't just raise a problem without solving it. If that's the case, you will still have to be dealt with.
Of course, it can't be an open and aboveboard punishment. After all, as I just said, you are the benefactor of the entire Second Army. We can only flatter you, but if we want to find an opportunity to make things difficult for you, that's no problem. A higher rank can crush a lower one. Who told you to be in the Second Army's order of battle?
Forehead…
Upon hearing the commander's words, Sakamoto, the regimental commander, was speechless. He had been so busy analyzing the situation that he hadn't considered how to solve it. He was truly the kind of person who only knew how to find problems but not how to solve them, and the expression on his face betrayed him.
Commander Guanting Pingzhi immediately flew into a rage. "You're all you do is nitpick! You've ruined my perfectly good military meeting like this! Now I'm putting you in charge of solving the problem, and you're just trying to brush it off with an embarrassed look on your face? What do you take me for? What do you take the entire Second Army for?"
"The next military conference will be held tomorrow afternoon. I hope that you, Sakamoto-kun, can explain to us at the conference how to deal with this change in the situation. I have some other matters to attend to now, so please go back first. When we meet tomorrow afternoon, I hope you can point out a way for the Second Army to get out of the current predicament and let us make new contributions."
Commander Pingzhi suppressed his anger and gave the guy an order: "I'm only giving you one day. No matter what method you use, you have to find a solution at tomorrow's meeting."
Under such circumstances, Division Commander Sakamoto could only stand at attention and shout, "Hai..."
But his mind was completely blank; he had no idea how to deal with the various units of the 72nd Army heading north…