Chapter 93: Japanese Navy Reinforcements
Japanese Navy Ministry, Inukai Cabinet and during the cabinet period Navy Minister Osumi Mineo, also held an emergency combat meeting.
The Navy Ministry is one of the ministries in the cabinet, led by the Navy Minister appointed by His Majesty the Emperor, the Navy Minister’s duty is the military and political management of the navy, without operational command authority, served by active-duty navy general or lieutenant general; however, this time’s navy high-level meeting, Chief of Naval Operations Taniguchi Hisashi, Chief of Staff Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, and Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, as well as Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu also participated,
because this time’s dispatch of troops for combat operation in Shanghai, the first round of troops belonged to their Navy Department’s Marine Corps,
so these navy high-level officials held a combat meeting.
The main content was the 19th Route Army 156th Division’s counterattack operation,
which defeated Major General Shiozawa’s commanded Japanese Marine Corps, unable to complete the specified combat mission,
although the battle is still ongoing now,
but it was already possible to see that after dispatching the main force of the 19th Route Army 156th Division into the fray, the situation was rapidly turning around,
Major General Shiozawa’s commanded Japanese Marine Corps began to face insufficient troop strength,
“Baka! Is that Shiozawa Major General an idiot?”
“The battle has only been fought for a few days? And he’s been repelled twice by the Chinese Army like this? Unable to occupy North Shanghai Railway Station?”
“He’s completely lost the face of our Imperial Navy!”
“Now not only are all Chinese people paying attention to this Battle of Shanghai incident, but even all the foreigners from the foreign powers are closely watching our this time’s dispatch of troops for combat operation!”
“Even our homeland’s national citizens and His Majesty are waiting for our victory report!”
“But now there’s no victory report, instead we need to dispatch reinforcements for support operation!”
“The most important thing is that it’s only been a few days since the battle started!”
“He’s really too incompetent!”
As soon as the meeting began,
Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu was the first to curse Major General Shiozawa’s incompetent command.
“Yo xi! Your Highness is right!”
“Major General Shiozawa is really somewhat incompetent in command!”
“But this can’t entirely blame him, because the Chinese Army’s troops can continuously support to Shanghai there, but the troops under Major General Shiozawa are very limited!”
“Although we have sea-air joint support operation, and tank troops dispatched to him for command operation, but the Chinese Army’s troops are too many!”
“Moreover, even if we want to replace Major General Shiozawa now, it’s not the time, now all foreign troops are paying attention to our this time’s operation, so the final victory must be our Imperial Navy’s!”
“So I think we should discuss how to dispatch more reinforcements for support operation to achieve the final victory!”
“As for Major General Shiozawa’s poor command operation, then punish him after the battle!”
“Now we should think big picture!”
After Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu’s cursing voice fell,
Chief of Staff Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko shook his head and proposed the key point of attention.
As for the other Japanese high-level officials, they looked at each other,
“Right! I agree with Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko’s opinion!”
Chief of Naval Operations Taniguchi Hisashi was the first to agree.
“I agree too!”
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu also chimed in to agree.
“Agree!”
“Agree!”
“Agree!”
After that, these Japanese high-level officials also successively nodded in agreement.
Finally, most agreed, with a minority waiting for the reaction of Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, who spoke first.
“Fine! Since everyone agrees!”
“Then my opposition is invalid!”
“But everyone didn’t say not to punish this Shiozawa Major General with poor command ability, so I have no objection!”
“Just do as you say! Immediately dispatch reinforcements for support operation in Shanghai!”
“But how many troops do we need to dispatch there is better, and which fleets to dispatch for transportation of troops?”
Seeing that most high-level Japanese had already agreed,
Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu also nodded in agreement.
But he also raised the issue similarly.
“Have Sasebo’s 3rd Special Marine Corps all set out for attack operation, and also continuously transport the over 7000 Marine Corps we originally prepared to dispatch!”
“As for the transport fleet, order Sasebo’s 26th Destroyer Squadron’s 4 destroyers, commanded by cruiser Yura for attack operation!”
“The landing site, still select Wharf Pu for landing!”
“Additionally, the aircraft carrier Kaga and Hosho that we dispatched early, with the 1st Air Squadron’s 40 airplanes aboard, have successfully arrived in Shanghai, now anchored on the sea surface about 130 kilometers east of Shanghai at Ma’an Islands!”
“As for cruisers Naka, Yura, and Abukuma etc. 3 cruisers, and 4 minelayers also arrived in Shanghai almost simultaneously, and successfully transported over 2000 Marine Corps, preparing for batch landing operation to assist Major General Shiozawa’s commanded Marine Corps!”
“In addition, I also plan to dispatch Yokosuka’s 1st Special Marine Corps entirely for attack operation, preparing to use cruise ship Terukuni Maru to transport them, landing site still Shanghai Huishan Wharf landing!”
“What do you think?”
Regarding Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu’s proposal,
Chief of Staff Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko also stated his own arrangement proposal.
Then, he quickly scanned all the Japanese high-level officials present, waiting for their response.
Finally, after a relatively calm discussion,
All Japanese high-level officials surprisingly agreed with Chief of Staff Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko’s proposal,
Even Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, who raised a series of questions, nodded in agreement.
Regarding this, Chief of Staff Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko also felt unexpected,
Originally he thought this meeting would be full of verbal sparring between them.
But no one expected it to end so quickly.
So after making the decision,
Japanese Navy’s reinforcements also rapidly assembled and set out for combat.
Of course, those Marine Corps reinforcements that had already arrived in Shanghai early, their commander had the communications soldier immediately contact Major General Shiozawa, preparing to rendezvous with the Japanese Marine Corps under his command, or jointly attack and counterattack the 19th Route Army 156th Division.
Regarding the Japanese Navy’s reinforcements having successfully landed for operation,
The 19th Route Army 156th Division’s high-level had not yet known temporarily.
Because their main force was still engaged in fierce battle with Major General Shiozawa’s commanded Japanese Marine Corps.
