Chapter 61: Ignition

  "Japanese Marines landed! British Royal Marines landed!! US Marines landed!!!!!"

  The whole afternoon, Shanghai was shrouded in a tense atmosphere! Those bewildered citizens, who had experienced the innocent harm of 1.28, some had already begun to flee this city that could start fighting at any time; but more of them, they had nowhere to go! This is their home, why should they leave just because foreign marines landed?!

  People are rushing to buy food and daily necessities on the streets, while those who have prepared early hurry back home and lock their doors.

  In the past, the concession was still maintaining its unique arrogance and tranquility during battles; but this time it's different, the people in the concession who are at odds with the Japanese are precisely the Western businessmen. Who knows if the concession will be invaded by the Japanese? Therefore, this time the land troops of various countries are all deployed to defend the concession, especially the Anglo-American coalition forces who have set up temporary fortifications along the southern bank of Suzhou Creek, it seems like they're preparing for battle! The French and Italian armies are also setting up defenses everywhere in the two major concessions, and as soon as they see Japanese people, they will be inspected and even detained.

  Outside the concession in Nanshi, over a thousand Japanese marines had surrounded the Grain Exchange; to their south was a contingent of Shanghai police, while to their north were over three hundred British and American marines. As the crowd of Western businessmen trapped inside the exchange grew more agitated, the atmosphere became increasingly tense, with officers on both sides warning their men to exercise restraint and avoid "loose gunfire".

  The staff at the exchange were still calm, seeing that trading was impossible in the afternoon, the settlement personnel of Da Tong Bank and HSBC completed the morning's settlement and sent it back to their respective head offices in the concession.

  Rong Hui was in the VIP room of HSBC, waiting for the settlement results to come out. As soon as it was confirmed, she would complete the transaction and leave Shanghai immediately. Tan Xiao had already called several times to urge her to leave quickly. Why wait for Tan Xiao's troops to be ready? Were the British, French, and American troops just decorations? Tan Xiao would launch an attack today, letting the powers and Japan fight each other when Sasha's money was all invested in market transactions! Indeed, only at this time would Sasha become anxious and spare no expense to deal with the Japanese.

  Tan Xiao's anxiety has turned into warmth in Rong Hui's heart, now she is also back to her senses!

  "Will I be able to see my godfather soon? Is he really that majestic? ...... "George Soros fantasized about Tan Xiao's military uniform: "Can I really play with a submachine gun? ...... "The carefree financial genius, like all little boys, loved playing with guns."

  "Yes, not only submachine guns, your father also has machine guns and cannons!" Rong Hui, during this period of time, faced Little Sorrows every day, unknowingly, began to become like a mother...

  Is it stay or leave? Sasha's mind was fighting, he had already sent a batch of red envelopes to the US Marine Corps officers, asking them to be decisive and ruthless when provoking Japan, but he didn't expect the conflict between the two sides to occur outside his expected time frame. "Damn that warlord and that stupid woman!" Sasha began to think in his heart: Could it be that from the beginning they had colluded with the Song Kong Group to drag us down? For the sake of worsening relations between Europe, America and Japan? Is this really a conspiracy?

  Originally, his plan was to wait for the Japanese to make a killing and then use his Jewish funds to swoop in from the top and play the role of the one holding the slingshot, so he should have made over 10 billion, right? In the end, he would slip away and leave the tail end for diplomacy to resolve. Now, not only has he not made a single penny, but he also only has a paltry $2 million in usable funds on hand! Currently, the Japanese have already locked down the exchange, and by this afternoon, the Jewish financial group's funds will become completely useless; what's more, half of his own assets are still tied up in unsettled contracts, although there is a floating profit of 300 million, but when can he realize it? Will the Japanese be so accommodating?

  Backed into a corner! He made up his mind, he had to stay on! So this battle couldn't be fought carelessly! However, Britain was going to pose an even greater military threat to Japan! He began to arrange for more work, including requesting the dispatch of troops from the Straits Settlements!

  Tan Xiao was immersed in infinite joy throughout the afternoon: Rong Hui would fly back to Lingling immediately after handling those bank procedures, and they could be together tonight! This time he had really earned 5.65 billion! He was almost knocked out by happiness! To vent his excitement, he took a short rest after lunch and went for a run in the scorching sun while Chiang Kai-shek was taking a nap!

  There are still many troops undergoing high-intensity training under the scorching sun on the training ground, and the training of the Wild One Army has formed a habit. Now, no new recruits will be unaccustomed to it - all that can be seen is the same training atmosphere.

  Today, a special unit is also undergoing special training - the Goslar Mountain Battalion from Germany. Although most of them are not yet accustomed to the hot and humid climate of the Far East, they can still undergo those rigorous training, and the quality of the world's number one army is indeed not just talk. After seeing Tan Xiao in the distance and recognizing him, the battalion commander Johann Erwin Eugen Rommel ran over to him.

  When did Rommel also become my fan? Tan Xiao didn't expect that this handsome middle-aged man, who even ran with his lips pursed and looked like a robot, would stand at attention in front of him and salute him with a standard military salute just like Goodrian!

  "General Tan, good... you..." However, his Chinese was really not that great... so they started communicating in English instead.

  "It's like this, General... I'm writing a book, well, one about infantry attack tactics and requirements for skills and so on..." Rommel looked somewhat embarrassed, which was unusual.

  "It's like this, I found that there are many excellent contents in the infantry textbook of General, I think, I want to directly quote them into the book......" Rommel started to be a bit unnatural; he didn't mean to plagiarize Tan Xiao's work, but Tan Xiao had almost written down all the infantry tactics that Rommel thought of and hadn't thought of!

  So it was, Tan Xiao remembered that Rommel was reused because his book on infantry tactics was highly appreciated by Hitler, which led to his later rise to fame.

  "Of course, but I think there are still many places that need to be modified here. After all, the geography and human habits of Europe and China are quite different, and some things should not be applied indiscriminately..." Tan Xiaofei feared that Rommel would misunderstand him, so he continued: "May I have the honor of seeing the manuscript first? I know you're a very brave soldier, with remarkable achievements in the past..."

  Rommel was overjoyed. He had long known that Guderian's tactical theories had made a qualitative leap under the guidance of Tan Xiao.

  "Uh, I just wrote whatever came to mind, I'm afraid the content isn't good... actually, this book doesn't even have a name yet..."

  "Rommel, you don't have to be so modest! I really know you, a tough guy who dares to launch an attack in any situation! ... Your infantry tactics must be mainly offensive, let's just call it 'Infantry Attack'!" Tan Xiao continued: "What I mean is that we should exchange more ideas, I don't have anything to teach you, it's mutual exchange..."

  Romell was momentarily stunned! "The Infantry Attack..." he muttered to himself.

  "Thank you, General! This is a good book title!" Rommel saluted again: "General, may I ask if the General can allow my troops to also go for 'practice'? I'm referring to the same kind of 'exercise' as that 'Brandenburg' special training camp..."

  Oh! Why not?! Tan Xiao still worries that his power in Shanghai is not strong enough...

  Shanghai indeed needs a stronger force to maintain order there, because the situation there has become very chaotic!

  After the intervention of the Board of Works, the Japanese agreed to let the representatives of those Western firms leave the exchange, but they demanded that the exchange hold an immediate meeting to resolve the unfair trading practices currently occurring within the exchange! They also demanded compensation for Japanese merchants.

  The Japanese demand was immediately met with uproar among the merchants on the scene - many of these Western businessmen had only entered the market that morning and had not yet made a profit! They began to protest and curse at the Japanese soldiers; some even rushed forward to provoke them! The scene became chaotic, with physical clashes breaking out in places...

  "Bang!" A very clear shot from a Type 38 rifle, and a big white man in front of the crowd fell to the ground!

  "What's going on? Who fired the shot?" The Japanese officer in charge was furious and searched everywhere.

  "Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat..." Less than a minute after the rifle shot, the north side suddenly erupted with the urgent rattle of a "Thompson" submachine gun!

  The British and American officers who were originally facing the Japanese were already quite tense, and when they heard the Japanese open fire, they became even more tense. Just as they were all looking at their commander, a platoon of about 20 American soldiers rushed out from a nearby alley, each holding a submachine gun. The first one immediately opened fire on the Japanese, and several Japanese soldiers were shot down in an instant! The Japanese soldiers did not expect the Americans to open fire without warning, and they were caught off guard. Almost simultaneously, the group of Americans began a collective charge, shooting and surrounding the large number of Japanese troops who had gathered at the exchange with no cover and no preparation. They were densely packed together, making them easy targets for slaughter! The crazy sweep of over 30 submachine guns instantly shot down the entire row of Japanese soldiers, numbering over a hundred! Those Japanese soldiers who survived the hail of bullets scattered in all directions, fleeing and beginning to return fire, while another three groups of Japanese troops from different directions and those waiting at the dock began to counterattack.

  "Fire!" The originally more than 300 British and American troops who had formed an array opened fire, and the British and American troops with superior firepower took advantage of the narrow range to beat the Japanese so badly that they couldn't even lift their heads!

  Just as everyone was busy firing desperately, the US troops who had launched the attack first quietly retreated from the small alley they had originally charged out of! They quickly got on a large truck at the other end of the alley and soon disappeared into the distance...

  "What the devil, who started firing first!?" The American lieutenant who gave the order to fire shouted loudly from behind a low wall at the edge of a garden that served as cover.

  "Report, sir, it was those Japanese fools who fired the first shot..." a soldier replied. His answer got an endorsement from another soldier beside him: "Yes, we all heard that it was the Japanese fools who fired the first shot!"

  "Damn it! I was asking about those soldiers with submachine guns, which unit are they from..." The lieutenant hadn't even heard the answer when "Boom!" he was blasted two meters away, the Japanese grenade launcher had fired!

  The next moment, the light and heavy machine guns as well as mortars of both sides started "rattling" away. The only ones that remained restrained were the warships on the river surface - their firepower was too strong, and the distance between them was too close; once they opened fire, it could have been a mutually destructive situation! Those big cannons, including the eight-inch cannons that looked like giant beasts to the army, were all pointing at each other. No one knew which cannon would suddenly spew out flames in the next moment...

  "What! A fight has broken out!!" The high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Works, the Public Works Bureau, and the Japanese Army and Navy Command were all shocked in their respective conference rooms.

  The Japanese are tough on the outside but soft on the inside; they hope to show a strong appearance and then resolve it through diplomacy, so before landing, they had instructed their soldiers to restrain themselves!

  "It seems that a soldier's rifle misfired, killing a white person..." The staff officer who was still verifying the situation covered the receiver and loudly reported to Admiral Hasegawa of the Third Fleet.

  When they received the order from the Ministry of War to cooperate with Prince Yi Wang, the Japanese Marine Corps still insisted on landing at Nanshi, just to intimidate people; in fact, they could have departed from the Yangshupu area and passed through the International Settlement. The reason for landing at Nanshi was to show their attitude, targeting only the Chinese, not the Western powers, but unexpectedly, something big happened!

  "Now, it's come to this!" Prince Takahito of the Sanjo Palace said: "For this operation, we've already spent 10 billion and also borrowed $1 billion from the Americans at high interest. If we can't recover our losses, next year's finances will collapse!"

  A group of Western businessmen, led by Sassoon, also gathered in the conference hall of the Ministry of Works. Although there were two Japanese directors present, Sassoon showed no restraint: "It's now clear that the Japanese are disrupting the market! Everyone can bring grain from wherever they want and settle at today's final price - who won't make a fortune?! It's the Japanese who are disrupting the market! Since the Japanese dare to take action, we must let them know who is the master of the Far East! I suggest that the land forces of various countries immediately surround the Japanese military headquarters!" His outburst received enthusiastic responses from almost everyone present, except for the two Japanese directors at the Ministry of Works.

  Now, the number of marines from various countries in Shanghai exceeds 10,000, more than double that of the Japanese Navy's; of course, it is easy for the Japanese Army to increase its troops; so the directors of the Municipal Council still cannot make a decision.

  At this time, a secretary who had been following the development of the situation came in to report: The British, American and French marines have already surrounded the Japanese naval landing party in Nanshi and have given them an ultimatum, requiring that all merchants and staff at the exchange be allowed to leave safely first... Unfortunately, four merchants were killed and five injured in the clash just now... As everyone began crossing themselves and praying, the secretary looked at the two Japanese directors with a provocative expression: "The marines of various countries lost five brave soldiers and it is estimated that over 100 Japanese thugs have been shot dead..." Although his speech was flat and emotionless, like a phonograph record, these words immediately sparked applause and cheers from the whole room; The faces of the two Japanese directors turned pale: Now the General Labour Bureau has directly labeled the Japanese naval landing party as thugs!

  A Japanese director stood up: "I protest! Someone just mentioned the Japanese Marines..." Before he could finish, a staff member rushed in with a telegram and handed it to the secretary. As the telegram was read out, the Japanese man's speech was completely drowned out by applause!

  "The United States government will formally lodge the most solemn protest with Japan over this serious clash... Meanwhile, the main force of the Pacific Fleet, including three aircraft carriers, has set sail for Shanghai..." Those white businessmen cheered and applauded, with American merchants even beginning to sing their national anthem!

  During the January 28 Incident, the US had sent 17 warships to Shanghai, although ultimately having no substantial impact on Japan's actions. But what about this time? The January 28 Incident was a conflict between China and Japan, whereas this time it is a conflict between Western businessmen and Japan - fundamentally different; especially since three American aircraft carriers have arrived! Japanese directors left halfway through the meeting - they also knew that staying here would be futile, and they wanted to report on the movements of the US Navy as soon as possible.

  Because the interests involved this time are too great, Sassoon had already communicated with all parties before coming and mobilized all the relationships that could be mobilized to put enough pressure on the Japanese. Therefore, he was not surprised by the actions of the US fleet; He knew that tonight, the British and French joint fleet would also arrive from the South Ocean...

  Things have gotten out of hand! Far beyond the Japanese people's expectations! Three years ago, when they were fighting with Chinese people here, the powers were just spectators, so they were very arrogant; today they are surrounding the Chinese trading house, how can the powers react so strongly!? Now Hasegawa Kiyoshi and Prince Yi Wang of the Imperial Palace are staring at each other: 109 people were killed on the spot, more than 70 injured! If it were a battle with the Chinese army, this would be enough to qualify as a medium-sized or larger battle loss! Have the powers gone mad!?

  "Hurry up and call to restrain the troops by Suzhou River!" Nagayama knew clearly that starting a war with Western powers was absolutely not within his power to decide, he feared that the troops by Suzhou River would be stimulated by the gunfire and take greater action...

  In the northern concession of Suzhou Creek, a telephone line switching station, several Japanese communication soldiers were inspecting the lines because a batch of telephone wires had just been pulled to the riverbank today. One of them held a receiver: "Hey, hey......" He put down the receiver and made a face at his companions, and several people quickly cleaned up the scene and left...

  They were Zhang Xiang's special warfare personnel. After solving the real Cha Line soldiers, they had already notified the Japanese army on the Suzhou River half an hour before the call to the Japanese command headquarters. The South City Marine Corps was killed and injured by the enemy with more than 200 people; Command headquarters ordered: as soon as the artillery preparation is completed, launch a general attack!

  "They're all Type 92 and mortars, how can the artillery preparation take so long? Far worse than our own artillery!" One of the special forces team members was extremely dissatisfied with the level of the Japanese artillery. At this time, a burst of explosions from a distant salvo of cannons could be heard!

  "Great! It's really started......!" The guy with more saliva hadn't finished his sentence, the second half was abruptly cut off by the deafening explosion of a shell 100 meters away - the Allied forces counterattacked! Everyone rushed to find a place to hide...

  "Give 'em hell! Blow the guts out of those yellow monkeys!" Lieutenant Ferguson, a British artillery officer, was directing his battery. They had been ordered to load and set their sights after the shooting in South City. He didn't really believe the Japanese would actually attack, but he was ready just in case.

  As the first shell left the barrel, Ferguson took a deep breath of the air filled with the smell of gunpowder, ripped open his collar, and let his skin feel the scorching heat caused by the propellant: Oh God! It's great, I can finally become a real soldier like my uncle! The young officer, who had been listening to his uncle's stories about World War I since he was a child, was excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood!

  Both sides were shelling each other across the Suzhou River, those bright red shells densely shuttling through the air, against the backdrop of smoke and fire, although it was broad daylight, they could still be seen clearly.

  The power of the 92-type infantry shell used by the Japanese was actually not small, and it was even bigger than some 75mm cannons. In this complex geographical environment, the advantages of freely moving and shooting trajectories that were difficult to calculate were brought into full play! After half an hour of artillery battle, the British artillery did not gain the upper hand. Both sides bombarded each other's positions with a few rounds of concentrated fire before starting to suppress each other's fire, leaving the front line to be handled by both sides' infantry.

  "Charge!" With the officer's shout, hundreds of Japanese soldiers rushed onto the bridge and charged towards the opposite bank. Of course, this was a suicidal move - in less than half a minute, under the blockade of several Vickers machine guns, nearly half of the assault team was killed on the bridge, and the rest were desperately running back under the pursuit of bullets. The Japanese grenade launchers and Type 92 infantry cannons also fiercely opened fire at the exposed British-American machine gun firepower points, and the battle quickly entered a white-hot state!

  "What the...! How did this happen?! I explicitly ordered restraint, didn't I?!" Hasegawa Kiyomizu was shouting in his office, drenched in sweat. At the same time, he helplessly looked towards Prince Sanjō Sanetomi, who could vouch for him that he had indeed given the order before opening fire.

  "It may not be our fault, perhaps they were the ones who fired first!" Prince Yi An comforted Nagatani Kozo: "Perhaps our troops just counterattacked in self-defense for the sake of imperial dignity... Fortunately, the navy hasn't engaged in battle yet. Shouldn't we give some instructions to the navy? Commander Nagatani..."

  "Boom!" A deafening explosion shook the sky, and the annex building of the command headquarters was directly blown down by one-third!

  8-inch gun! The Navy is opening fire!

  Author: It's starting to smell like gunpowder! Everyone's recommendations and collections are also coming with a bit of flavor!! ......Next is an absurdly grand turn in history......