Chapter 316: Mercy Has No Place In Command
Kumamoto Division Headquarters
“Division Commander, our grain is only enough for one meal.” The statistician came before the Kumamoto Division Commander to report.
“Divide this one meal into three portions.” The Kumamoto Division Commander said irritably.
Originally, the Kwantung Army had sent thirty airplanes over, which could cover the military train escorting supplies.
These supplies were already loaded onto vehicles, but unexpectedly the airport was bombed. Not only were the original airplanes at the airport gone, but even the thirty airplanes borrowed from the Kwantung Army were all gone.
Although Commander Shinozuka had urgently borrowed ten airplanes from the First War Zone, most of the airplanes had to deal with the Taiyuan Rear crisis, with only three available to escort the military train.
However, these damned local Eighth Route Army had destroyed the railway again. Relying on the military train to deliver supplies again in the short term was unrealistic.
Therefore, the North China Area Army planned to use other methods for ground transportation.
But the Kumamoto Division Commander knew that these other ground transportation methods were not that easy either; the local Eighth Route Army would definitely obstruct them.
In other words, the huge army would probably have to rely on pitiful airdrops to survive in the short term.
“Division Commander, this way, the army won’t have enough to eat and won’t have the strength to fight.” The statistician replied.
“No strength to fight is still better than having nothing to eat.” The Kumamoto Division Commander said angrily, “Anyway, the local Eighth Route Army isn’t attacking us now, so we don’t need to fight.”
The statistician wanted to say that the local Eighth Route Army wasn’t attacking because they wanted to starve them to death.
After all, their huge army consumed a massive amount daily, and the limited airdrops couldn’t solve the fundamental problem.
The statistician still didn’t say this, but instead said: “Division Commander, there’s another big problem.”
“What problem?” the Kumamoto Division Commander asked.
“Without the military train transporting supplies, our wounded soldiers have no medicine for treatment.” The statistician said tactfully.
What it meant to have no medicine for treatment didn’t need further explanation.
Without sulfa drugs and other antibacterials for these battlefield wounds, wound infection was probably inevitable.
Not to mention that many wounded soldiers still needed surgery.
In other words, these wounded soldiers would probably all end up like the over three thousand wounded soldiers before them.
“Baka, baka, baka!” The Kumamoto Division Commander jumped up like crazy and roared: “Send a telegram to the commander to airdrop more medicine!”
These were seven to eight thousand wounded soldiers, all excellent soldiers.
They had already abandoned over three thousand earlier, and now to abandon another seven thousand—the cost of this non-combat loss was something the Kumamoto Division Commander simply couldn’t bear.
Not just him—even the commander couldn’t bear it; this was almost a whole brigade.
The statistician helplessly said: “Transport planes are limited, and carrying capacity is limited. If more medicine is dropped, the amount of food will correspondingly decrease.”
Normally, as a qualified commander, one should prioritize uninjured regular soldiers.
If even regular soldiers couldn’t be guaranteed and combat power was lost, the consequences…
The statistician stopped thinking further; any more and he would mentally collapse.
Just not long ago, with reinforcement from thirty Kwantung Army airplanes, they had been revived; yet so soon, they were beaten back to their original state.
Not to mention the crisis for tens of thousands of troops—abandoning these seven to eight thousand wounded soldiers alone was an unbearable cost.
“Didn’t these Chinese people, short on medicine in logistics, invent a torture treatment method?” The Kumamoto Division Commander recalled this and said: “Convert battle wounds to burns, which prevents wound infection, then treat the burns afterward.”
The reason this treatment was called torture was that it was even more terrifying than torture.
It involved cauterizing the wound with a red-hot branding iron to achieve sterilization.
Normal skin couldn’t withstand such pain, let alone pressing the branding iron on an open wound.
The statistician shuddered upon hearing this: “Division Commander, I’m afraid the wounded soldiers won’t be willing. Such torture is worse than letting them end it themselves.”
Cauterizing wounds with a red-hot branding iron was a disinfection method only used in the gendarmerie’s torture chamber.
It both disinfected the victim and inflicted further torment.
Many couldn’t endure such immense pain and died from it alive.
“Tell them our Bushido spirit can withstand all pain!” The Kumamoto Division Commander clenched his fist. “They are His Majesty’s most loyal guards. Let them see pain as life’s baptism! Surviving this trial will bring them life’s transformation!”
“Division Commander, I’m just a statistician.” The statistician couldn’t do such cruel work.
The statistician also didn’t believe Bushido spirit could withstand such inhuman pain.
“You may go.” The Kumamoto Division Commander didn’t rebuke the statistician’s cowardice.
“Hai.” The statistician withdrew.
The Kumamoto Division Commander summoned all the military doctors and said: “Convert the soldiers’ battle wounds to burns and save as many as you can for now.”
The military doctors exchanged glances upon hearing this, looking bewildered.
Convert battle wounds to burns—how? By cauterizing wounds with a red-hot bayonet?
One military doctor cautiously said: “Division Commander, converting battle wounds to burns is an extremely painful process; few can endure it. Even if the wound is disinfected and becomes a burn, without medicine for follow-up treatment, there’s still risk of continued infection. Even if it doesn’t infect further, burns still need medicine; without treatment, the burns will…”
The Kumamoto Division Commander interrupted: “Converting battle wounds to burns at least lets them hold out a bit longer. North China Area Army ground troops are already transporting supplies to us. As long as we hold on, there’s still opportunity.”
The military doctors exchanged glances. The military train couldn’t get through; even if ground troops could, it wouldn’t be soon—and enemies would harass them.
Even if battle wounds became burns, the wounded soldiers probably couldn’t hold out that long.
Better to give them a quick end than let them suffer such torment before dying.
Of course.
These wounded soldiers hadn’t reached the point of a quick end yet, so the military doctors didn’t dare say it.
Earlier, making over three thousand wounded soldiers commit seppuku was already outrageous enough.
Doing it again now—they couldn’t get past the psychological hurdle.
We are military doctors, doctors, saviors—not senders to death.
“Baka, what are you standing around for? Since you’re doctors, you have ways to save them!” the Kumamoto Division Commander roared.
“Yes, Division Commander.” The military doctors ultimately had to accept the Kumamoto Division Commander’s order.
The Kumamoto Division Commander quickly held a meeting with the relevant Japanese officers, instructing these Japanese officers to encourage and rally their subordinate wounded soldiers!
Many of these Japanese officers felt the Kumamoto Division Commander’s method was too cruel—better to just send the wounded soldiers off directly.
If they left, it would save food.
But ultimately, like the military doctors, they accepted the Kumamoto Division Commander’s order.
Soon, in the Kumamoto Division camp, pig-slaughtering screams echoed, along with the foul smell of burning flesh.
Many wounded soldiers came before the Kumamoto Division Commander, kneeling and sobbing: “Division Commander, please don’t make us endure such torture; we can’t take it.”
“Baka, all of you stand up!” the Kumamoto Division Commander rebuked angrily. “You are His Majesty’s most trusted warriors. Are you all going to betray His Majesty’s trust in you? Soldiers of the great Japanese Empire never scare to death or cower—hold on!”
“Division Commander, just kill us.” The wounded soldiers trembled. “Without medicine, we’re just burdens alive!”
“Baka, I won’t allow you to call yourselves burdens. You are the Empire’s finest soldiers!” The Kumamoto Division Commander’s tone grew harsher. “As long as you hold on, I will definitely bring you all back alive.”
With that, the Kumamoto Division Commander had these wounded soldiers sent back.
The subsequent developments were as the Kumamoto Division Commander expected.
Most wounded soldiers watched comrades faint from pain as red-hot bayonets cauterized their wounds—ghastly scenes.
The wounded soldiers began ending their own lives voluntarily.
This was actually the Kumamoto Division Commander’s intent; he had been acting all along.
Mercy doesn’t command soldiers!
With these seven to eight thousand wounded soldiers deteriorating and no medicine, they would only suffer more and become burdens on the army.
In other words, these wounded soldiers couldn’t be saved in the end.
Knowing the outcome, better to decide early.
Of course, sending off so many wounded soldiers couldn’t use the previous method again.
After all, they hadn’t reached that point yet; forcing seppuku wouldn’t go smoothly.
But using the battle wound to burn conversion, the immense pressure made them choose seppuku themselves—this method was cruel but clearly effective.
Moreover, this timely solved the army grain problem!
The Kumamoto Division Commander called over the head cook and instructed: “Now we have army grain. Hurry and cook; once the troops are full, we’re fighting immediately.”
The head cook’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the Kumamoto Division Commander: “Division Commander, where’s the army grain? Don’t tell me it’s these seppuku soldiers…”
The head cook hadn’t expected the Division Commander to have him cook the corpses into food.
“Hurry and do it.” The Kumamoto Division Commander said no more.
“Yes, Division Commander.” The head cook ultimately nodded and went.
The army had only one meal left, now divided into three; after those three, they were basically done for.
The Kumamoto Division Commander had decisively acted at the critical moment to feed the troops fully and seize the chance to break out.
The Kumamoto Division Commander gathered all combat staff officers and Muto Juichi, tone solemn: “Relying solely on external aid, I don’t think we can hold out that long, so ultimately we must break out ourselves. I plan to fight our way out.”
“Fight our way out?” Muto Juichi asked suspiciously. “We have no food now; soldiers aren’t full, have no strength—how do we fight out?”
“Food will soon be provided to the soldiers, and our current task is to urgently study how to break out fastest and take the tungsten ore back.” The Kumamoto Division Commander suppressed the questioning voices.
……
