Chapter 119: Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe’s Fury
Japanese Homeland, Chief of Staff of the Army Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko soon received the bad news intelligence that Division Commander Ueda had suffered an air strike bombing from an enemy airplane group of unknown origin and was seriously injured.
“What! Lieutenant General Ueda was bombed and injured by the enemy airplane group? His life is in danger?”
“Baka Yarou! What the hell is going on?”
“He is the commander-in-chief of the Battle of Shanghai right now! If he is seriously injured, then who will take over to continue commanding the operation?”
“And as the division commander, how could he suffer an air strike bombing from the enemy airplane group for no reason?”
“Could it be that his command post was exposed? Or did he underestimate the enemy? Or is there a traitor in our troops selling intelligence, or a Chinese Army intelligence officer infiltrating our troops?”
“Shouldn’t he have properly concealed his command post? How could he be so careless?”
After Chief of Staff of the Army Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko finished reading the telegram,
his eyes were immediately filled with an incredulous expression, and he exclaimed out loud.
Because he had never dreamed that Division Commander Ueda had just arrived in Shanghai to command the operation not long ago, and already suffered an air strike bombing with his life in danger,
and moreover, up to now the intelligence agency still had not investigated which forces sent that enemy airplane group.
However, after being surprised, Chief of Staff of the Army Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko became increasingly irritable, wondering who to find to replace Division Commander Ueda’s command position, and now it was on the Shanghai side, not on the homeland side,
even if wanting to immediately dispatch an officer over, even by airplane, it would take a certain amount of time.
“Damn it! If that’s the case, then we can only have the Ninth Division and the Kurume Brigade temporarily withdraw to rest and reorganize!”
“Have the Army Department side select the best commander today, and immediately airlift him over to take over the operational command of the Ninth Division, as well as the command of the Kurume Brigade!”
“This matter also needs to let Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe know, and he needs to pass it on to His Majesty!”
“This matter is not something I can decide entirely on my own!”
Then, after regaining his calm, Chief of Staff of the Army Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko kept pacing back and forth in his own room, muttering to himself.
Immediately after, he made a final decision with a hammer.
Soon, he personally called Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe to report the matter of Division Commander Ueda being bombed by the enemy airplane group with his life in danger.
Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe’s mansion,
soon he also received the telephone from Chief of Staff of the Army Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko,
after listening to his report, his face also immediately changed dramatically.
“Baka! How could this happen?”
“What the hell is the Army Department eating?”
“The war was started by them, but now this is their strength?”
“Not long after the war started, even the division commander’s command post was bombed by the enemy airplane group?”
“Even the division commander has his life in danger?”
“Baka Yarou! They are even more unreliable than those Marine Corps!”
“I already said not to expand the war! Just properly stabilize the occupied territory in the Northeast!”
After Chief of Staff of the Army Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko hung up the telephone,
Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe immediately flew into a rage and roared.
The entire Prime Minister’s Mansion could hear his cursing of the Army Department.
However, no one dared to say a single word,
after Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe vented his fury,
he also immediately had someone prepare a car, preparing to enter the Imperial Palace to see their His Majesty, to make an emergency report that Division Commander Ueda was bombed unconscious by the air strike bombing, with his life in danger.
