Chapter 2 Air Raid Plan

  "The Chinese actually want to manufacture chemical weapons!" Tokugawa thought that only the Great Japanese Empire was worthy of manufacturing and using biological and chemical weapons on the battlefield. Now, hearing that the inferior and cowardly Chinese were also going to manufacture chemical weapons, with the obvious purpose of countering the Imperial Japanese Army, made him extremely angry. He immediately sneered: "Since these American equipment have just arrived, the Chinese will never have a chance to use them."

  Beijing was then called Beiping, and it had already fallen into enemy hands. The North China Headquarters of the Japanese invasion army was located here. At this time, the Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Tadashi Okabe, was reporting to Commander-in-Chief Shigetarō Shimada: "The First Army's various divisions are attacking along the Pinghan Road, making smooth progress, and have occupied Baoding and Shijiazhuang. They have now divided their forces into two routes, advancing southward along the Pinghan and Zhengtai railways to attack Henan and Shanxi respectively. The resistance of the Chinese troops along the Pinghan Road is not intense, and they are retreating southward and westward. On the Jinpu Road front, the Second Army has occupied Dezhou, and according to intelligence analysis, there are signs that the Shandong Chinese army led by Han Fuju is withdrawing. On our southern front, only General Yamagata's 109th Division encountered fierce resistance from the Chinese troops in the area of Ziyahu River and Tuyang River. In addition, guerrilla activities by irregular Chinese forces have appeared in our rear, believed to be armed forces led by the Communist Party." "The main force of the Communist Party is far away in Shanxi, how can they appear in our rear?" "Not the main force, Commander-in-Chief, but their local armed forces. In addition, before we occupied Beiping, many young students from Beiping did not retreat with their government, but instead joined Yan'an."

  "How is the Ping-Sui line advancing?" Templeton didn't have his mind on the Communist forces that would soon be pinning them down from behind, holding them stuck at a point on the line.

  "The Pingxi direction has only one division of troops directly under the command of General Shizuichi Tanaka, the 5th Division, but currently General Tanaka is making the most rapid progress, and has already occupied Zhangjiakou, the provincial capital of Chahar Province, and is now attacking Shanxi from the north."

  General Taisho nodded in satisfaction: "If the General Staff hadn't transferred the troops originally assigned to our army to Shanghai, we would have made more progress. Has Lieutenant General Tokugawa arrived?" "Yes." "Please let him in." "Yes!"

  Tokugawa Kamejiro will be the commander-in-chief of the temporary flying group of the North China Front Army. This guy has been actively participating in the war since the "July 7th Incident", commanding the Japanese air force stationed in Dalian, Shenyang and Shanhaiguan. Lieutenant General Tong Linhe, deputy commander of the 29th Army, was sacrificed under the bombing of Tokugawa's devils' planes. At the end of August, after the North China Front Army was formed, Tokugawa's devils' air force temporary flying group was incorporated into the command sequence of Terashima Hisaichi and stationed in the Pingjin area. Due to the lack of air force in our country in the North China region and extremely weak air defense capabilities, Tokugawa's air force rampaged, committing numerous crimes against our military and civilians. At that time, although the Zero fighter had not yet been listed, Japanese warplanes in the early stages of the war, whether fighters, bombers or other types, were not inferior to European and American advanced levels. Compared with China, which has a weak industrial foundation and no aircraft manufacturing capabilities, there is an essential difference between having and not having. This is also one of the important reasons why the old generation of leaders insisted on building a complete self-owned industrial system after the founding of the People's Republic of China. A big country like China must take the road of self-reliance and self-strengthening to survive and develop, otherwise it will only be eliminated or enslaved.

  At this time, Tokugawa Yoshitoshi was like a street thug with a sword who had practiced triangle cat kung fu for a few days. He was arrogant and proud of his "victories" over unarmed children, the weak, and the sick, and he didn't take the Chinese army seriously. He was also very arrogant towards his colleagues, especially towards Lieutenant General Okabe Osamu, the chief of staff of the North China Area Army. At that time, the commanders of the two armies under the enemy's North China Area Army were both lieutenant generals, and the divisional commanders were also lieutenant generals. Tokugawa Yoshitoshi was a senior lieutenant general, while Okabe was not only a major general but also had less seniority. However, compared to Tokugawa and other military men, Okabe had some knowledge of Chinese culture and could be called a "China expert" in the Japanese army.

  Tokugawa walked into the temple's office, standing at attention and bowing. The temple master smiled: "Tokugawa-kun, please sit." "Commander Tokugawa, what are your orders?" "Tokugawa-kun, I have some intelligence here. According to our agents in America, after the '9/18' incident in 1932, the Chinese government sent a chemical engineer named Wu Qinlie to the US for six months under the guise of studying and inspecting. It has now been confirmed that this Wu Qinlie was actually representing the Nanjing government in secret negotiations with the US to purchase equipment for producing chemical weapons. According to our intelligence, they purchased sulfuric acid plant equipment designed by Mengsantou Chemical Factory, salt electrolysis plant equipment designed by Weishuago Company, and tear gas factory, sneeze gas factory, blister gas factory, smoke bomb filling factory, and poison gas shell factory equipment designed by Erie Lake Chemical Company. Additionally, they hired a group of American experts. These devices have all been delivered to the Chinese side by the US. The Chinese side has gone to great lengths to keep this secret, while we have spared no effort in collecting related intelligence. Recently, our agents stationed in Henan discovered that several trains carrying equipment had arrived at the Gongxian Arsenal, with the latest shipment being personally overseen by Railway Bureau Chief Engineer Li Zhenyuan. Chemical engineer Fang Zhenyuan, who has been responsible for building new factory buildings at the Gongxian Arsenal, also appeared on the scene, following closely behind another person and showing great deference to him. Based on eyewitness descriptions of his appearance, our agents have judged that this mysterious figure is likely Wu Qinlie!

  "The Chinese actually want to manufacture chemical weapons!" Tokugawa thought that only the Great Japanese Empire was worthy of manufacturing and using biological and chemical weapons on the battlefield. Now, hearing that the inferior and cowardly Chinese were also going to manufacture chemical weapons, with the obvious purpose of countering the Imperial Japanese Army, made him extremely angry. He immediately sneered: "Since these American equipment have just arrived, the Chinese will never have a chance to use them. It seems that using these equipment to supplement the army's arsenal isn't bad either. The products of the American Erie Lake Company are said to be quite unique, haha...". As he spoke, he burst into wild laughter.

  "General Tokugawa, we cannot take this intelligence lightly," said the Chief of Staff, pointing to the map with a serious expression. "Although it may not be possible to safely use these devices at the Gongxian Arsenal under current circumstances, this factory is different from the Taiyuan Arsenal. After we control the Tongpu and Zhengtai Railways, the Taiyuan Arsenal has only three prospects: one is to be captured by our army; two is to be bombed by our air force; three is to be destroyed by the Chinese army itself. The Gongxian Arsenal, on the other hand, can be transported from the Longhai Railway to Zhengzhou, then transferred to the Pinghan Railway and shipped south to Wuhan, and finally transported up the Yangtze River into Sichuan. Once it enters the mountainous regions of southwestern China, we may not be able to do anything about it in a short period of time. From now on, if we use chemical weapons on the battlefield again, we may face their retaliation." In fact, the retreat route of the Gongxian Arsenal later was roughly consistent with the analysis by the Chief of Staff.

  "General Okabe is worrying too much. At the time of the 'Manchurian Incident', our Kwantung Army, with a force of over 10,000 men, was able to defeat the Chinese army, navy and air force, which were fully equipped and had the best troops in Northeast China, and occupy all of Manchuria, capturing their Shenyang Arsenal and hundreds of aircraft. Since the 'China Incident', our military has been invincible, and within a few months, most of North China has fallen into our hands. The Imperial Army has already annihilated the Chinese elite troops in Shanghai, and Shanghai and Nanjing will soon fall. By then, the weak Chinese people will no longer have the means to resist the Great Japanese Empire, and their faint courage will be completely destroyed under our power. The 'China Incident' is about to end, General Okabe, and all of China's material and human resources will serve us in further conquering Asia and the world." Tokugawa spoke with a scornful expression, looking down on others.

  Tokugawa-sama is being overly optimistic. Does Tokugawa-sama realize that the Chinese side, due to your failure to destroy the Yellow River railway bridge in time, has transported a large number of personnel and supplies along with locomotives and vehicles on the north section of the Pinghan Railway across the Yellow River?

  I heard that there is a tone of accusation, Tokugawa Hoshin couldn't help but feel a bit irritated: "Our Great Japanese Imperial Army will soon reach the banks of the Yellow River, do you want us to bomb the Yellow River Bridge and block our own advance? Besides, my current area of responsibility is so vast, everywhere is requesting air support, I only have the 6th, 9th squadrons and Independent 3rd squadron which are heavy bomber units, I cannot concentrate all of them above the Yellow River Bridge!"

  "Does Tokugawa-san think that when we reach the north bank of the Yellow River, the Chinese army will not blow up the Yellow River Bridge and leave it for us to use?"

  "Mr. Okabe, I heard that you have done a lot of research on China. Don't you know that in the nearly twenty years since the establishment of the Republic of China, the Chinese have never blown up the Yellow River Bridge in any of the internal wars?"

  To be precise, the bridge piers were not blown up. In the spring of 1927, during the Zhili-Fengtian War, Wu Peifu's troops blew up the 10th span of the bridge, and in 1930, during the Jiangsu-Shandong-Jiangxi Campaign, Feng Yuxiang's troops blew up the 16th span. Of course, for a 102-span long bridge, this was easy to repair. At that time... Just then, a staff officer came in and handed a telegram to Lieutenant General Tani. Tani scanned the telegram with his eyes, looked up at Lieutenant General Tokugawa, who had an annoyed expression, and said: "But now it's completely different for the Chinese. When our troops approach the Yellow River bank, they will definitely blow up the Yellow River Bridge, of course, along with the bridge piers. And we don't know what other unexpected things they might do. Tokugawa-san, you don't understand the Chinese at all. We are now making smooth progress in Pingjin and Hebei, occupying cities and transportation lines, but this does not mean that we have control over Hebei. The Chinese say: 'Since ancient times, Yan and Zhao have been full of generous and tragic heroes.' " Saying this, Tani suddenly changed the subject, "Just now, we received a battle report, our 14th Division vanguard has occupied Changde."

  "Haha, Okabe-kun, in this situation where our army is advancing smoothly and the enemy is fleeing at the mere sight of us, do you still think there's anything for us to worry about?"

  "No, Tokugawa-sama, this should make us even more cautious. For we have set foot on the soil of Shina's Henan Province."

  "What's the difference? We'll still have to travel all over China and all of Asia!"

  "Tokugawa, to defeat the enemy and conquer them, we must first understand our enemy. The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said 'know yourself know your enemy, a hundred battles without danger'. The Chinese also have an old saying 'whoever gets the Central Plains gets the whole world'. According to my research, this 'Central Plains' in its broadest sense includes 18 provinces, and in its narrowest sense refers specifically to Henan Province."

  "Is Mr. Okabe going to teach Chinese history?"

  "Of course not, as a soldier of the Empire, one should understand the responsibility they bear. For the sake of His Majesty's glorious Greater East Asia War effort, we must take out a highly responsible spirit, any arrogant and underestimating thoughts will harm our cause!"

  Taisho nodded in approval with a smile.

  Okabe, encouraged by his superior, continued the topic from earlier: "Not far south of here is Tongbai County, which is the hometown of Yue Fei, a hero of the Chinese people. Pingshu and opera are the two most influential forms of artistic expression among the Chinese people, and 'The Legend of Yue Fei' and 'The Yang Family Generals' are both classic programs that occupy an important position in these two art forms. The region we are about to enter is the birthplace of Chinese culture, and their way of thinking has had an immeasurable impact on the entire country. This is the area where the concept of a great China is strongest, and it is also the area where their sense of cultural superiority and national pride are strongest. The Chinese people view themselves as the celestial dynasty, and other countries in all directions are considered barbarian nations - this mindset also originated from this region. Historically, they were strong most of the time, not necessarily because of military strength, but because they occupied a culturally dominant position. Many powerful nomadic tribes from the north invaded the Central Plains, only to be assimilated and even lose their own national identity; even if they still existed as a nation, most believed themselves to be Chinese - this is what's frightening about them. This cultural advantage has also had a huge impact on our country, Japan, historically. Our capital 'Tokyo', represented by the two kanji characters 'eastern capital', clearly shows the influence of Chinese culture from the Central Plains; in their Henan Province, there were once two cities called 'Dongjing' (Eastern Capital), and when they referred to Dongjing, it was always one of the top cities in the world.

  "That's just their past, it means nothing for today!"

  "No, no, Tokugawa-sama, to thoroughly subjugate a nation, we must ultimately crush their spirit and culture. The great China consciousness that the Chinese people have accumulated over thousands of years is our archenemy! We conquered Manchuria and built the Manchurian rear base, but then a man from Henan, Yang Jingyu, gathered a group of rabble and resolutely opposed the Imperial Army, refusing to surrender and tying up the Empire's forces. When we expanded our influence in Inner Mongolia and Chahar, another man from Henan, Ji Hongchang, organized an 'Anti-Japanese Alliance Army' to counterattack us. During the 'July 7 Incident', a man from Henan, Ji Xingwen, who was defending Wanping Castle with just one regiment, dared to refuse the Imperial Army's demands without hesitation and fought against us with bravery. The great China consciousness of these people has penetrated into their blood and bone marrow. This 'middle' does not mean mediocre, but rather indicates the central country, the center of the world. Therefore, we, Great Japan, resolutely refuse to call them China, and instead refer to them as Shina in accordance with Western pronunciation."

  "We'll be taking over this area soon, and when we do, we'll wipe out all these annoying guys!"

  "That's impossible, Tokugawa. What we have to do is to sever their cultural roots, undermine their cultural confidence and pride. Firstly, by all means, destroy the economy of this region. When people from an area appear in front of others as beggars, their culture and values will no longer be attractive. Secondly, find ways to provoke hatred or at least aversion towards the Central Plains region among people from other regions of China. Once they lose their common cultural values, the disintegration of China will be a natural thing."

  "It's of course ideal to have Chinese rule China, but it's probably not easy for them to collectively despise the place where their own civilization originated."

  "So it requires our long-term perseverance and effort. Gold contains one-thousandth of impurities, but we still call it gold; however, if there is one-thousandth of scum among the people, we can propagate that they represent 100% of this group! With tens of thousands of materials as a basis, supplemented by exaggeration, fabrication, and manipulation, in short, lies repeated a thousand times become truth. As long as we persist, we will surely destroy the cultural spirit pillar that has been passed down for thousands of years! At that time, the Chinese people will be honored to be assimilated into Japan, becoming Japanese people, no, second-class or third-class Japanese people. At that time, our great cause of establishing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and conquering the world will be close to success!"

  In fact, Okabe's remarks are the conclusion of many years of research by Japan's Sinology community. Since Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan has been dreaming of conquering China, and generations have worked tirelessly towards this goal. The "weak neighbor" policy of using neighboring countries as a moat has become Japan's basic national strategy. By all means, they have been striking at China's common cultural values, undermining the Chinese nation's confidence and pride, and promoting the division and disappearance of the Chinese nation. From the "Seven Pieces Theory" that divides China to the imperialization education promoted in Taiwan and Northeast China, and the long-term malicious propaganda that has led to a centrifugal trend in identifying with Central Plains culture within China, they have spared no effort!

  Actually, many insightful people in our country had already sensed and guarded against Japan's sinister intentions. After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Chinese government ordered that from then on, Japan must use either China's official name or its standard abbreviation "China" to refer to our country, and not "Shina". In the early days of the People's Republic of China, in order to prevent the economic marginalization of the Central Plains region, the old generation of leaders had placed more than a dozen of the 156 key construction projects nationwide in Luoyang. The largest railway hub in Asia was built in Zhengzhou, and the Zhengzhou Railway Bureau was established, with jurisdiction over six or seven provinces.

  The commander-in-chief of the temple highly appreciated his clever chief of staff. He had already submitted a report to the military department recommending the promotion of Gang Department to lieutenant general. "Alright, you two, let's get back on track. We need to make preparations for a long-term war. Underestimating the enemy is dangerous and will harm the empire's cause. Tokugawa, I order you to immediately dispatch bombers to destroy the Henan Arsenal in Zhina. Absolutely do not allow them to relocate the factory to the rear!"

  "Yes!"

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