freenovelworld Chapter 939 The Terrifying Silence!
Chapter 939 The Terrifying Silence!
January 10, 1938, dawn.
A thin mist shrouded the water towns of the Yangtze River Delta.
Several large Japanese troops appeared on the main roads, dirt roads, and even the ridges of fields leading to Nanjing.
Unlike the usual chaotic looting after conquering cities and territories, these troops were orderly and even had an eerie silence, like several heavy iron torrents surging in the same direction, westward towards Nanjing.
This was the main force of the Kwantung Army's 4th Division, 101st Division, 2nd Division, and 12th Division, which had set out from the Shanghai area.
Instead of dispersing to rest or accepting orders from the Central China Expeditionary Army as expected, they assembled their most elite infantry regiments, artillery battalions, cavalry units, and necessary supply units according to the resolution of the secret meeting the previous night. They abandoned most of the wounded and non-essential personnel, traveled light, but carried enough weapons and ammunition for high-intensity combat, and began this forced march with an extraordinary purpose.
At the very front of the column were light tanks and armored vehicles from the 2nd Division leading the way.
This division, led by Yasuji Okamura, was known for its bravery and strict discipline, demonstrating the qualities of an elite force.
The vehicle's engine roared low, and the tracks rolled over the dry, hard winter road, kicking up clouds of dust.
The soldiers' faces showed neither the excitement nor exhaustion of the looting that allied forces had experienced after conquering Nanjing; only an almost numb resolve and obedience.
Their orders were concise and clear: to reach the designated area outside Nanjing as quickly as possible, establish defensive positions, and await further instructions.
As for why they were marching into a city that had just been occupied by "friendly forces," most of the rank-and-file soldiers were clueless, but their long-term military training led them to choose unconditional obedience.
The 101st Division followed closely behind.
During the Battle of Shanghai, the 101st Division suffered more than half its casualties, essentially crippling the unit and severely damaging its morale.
But at this moment, the dejected expressions on the faces of the more than 5,000 soldiers marching at full speed were gone, replaced by anger beneath their heavy sorrow.
This grief stems from the loss of comrades and the pain of defeat.
Extreme anger and hatred are the most superficial and direct emotions.
Encouraged by Masayoshi Ito, the soldiers were filled with rage.
This anger provides the most primal and powerful driving force, the desire for "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
And the target... is someone in Ito Masaki's mouth, someone who's using them as cannon fodder...
. . . . . . . . . . .
The Fourth Division, which was marching rapidly, was the most conspicuous and the most "unconventional" of the four divisions.
Unlike the somber atmosphere of other divisions, the soldiers marched in orderly formations, but the atmosphere was much more lively.
Complaints, conversations, and even occasional laughter rose and fell.
"Hey Tanaka, this awful weather made our forced march a huge waste! If only we'd stayed in Shanghai a couple more days, the 'food' there is so much more authentic than in Manchuria!"
"Stop talking nonsense and get going! I heard there's a 'big business' to do in Nanjing. If you're late, your boss might dock your 'bonus'!"
"I wonder how those military police guys are doing. We went there to back them up, so we should at least show them some appreciation afterwards, right?"
These soldiers from Osaka seemed to view this risky military operation as a special "business trip" or "commercial adventure".
Their regimental commanders, such as Taro Shigeno, while outwardly reprimanding their soldiers to keep quiet, were inevitably calculating the potential "gains" of this trip and the prospects of further strengthening their relationship with the Tianjin Military Police Command.
However, beneath this seemingly disorganized exterior, the 4th Division was by no means inefficient. They always managed to obtain supplies quickly by using various "tricks," such as "requisitioning" civilian boats along the way to pass through waterways, or taking advantage of "good" "military-civilian relations" to exchange small favors for convenience. This made their marching speed almost as fast as the elite divisions ahead.
The 12th Division was bringing up the rear.
The atmosphere was the most somber in this division.
Division Commander Lieutenant General Yamada Otozo, mounted on his horse, was ashen-faced and remained silent.
His old grudge against Takasaki Takuto was well known, and this time he was forced to get involved in an operation that was clearly orchestrated by Zhou Zhengqing.
However, he could not defy the realistic considerations of interests and the situation from the high command of the Kwantung Army and other officers within the division.
The soldiers of the 12th Division also felt this oppressive atmosphere. The march was unusually quiet, with only the heavy footsteps and the clanging of weapons, as if it were a moving volcano that could erupt at any moment.
Such a large-scale movement by four divisions could not have been completely concealed from the outside world.
Almost immediately upon departure, various messages were transmitted via telephone lines and radio waves to the Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters in Nanjing and the main camp in Kyoto.
In Nanjing, Matsui Iwane, who had just moved his headquarters into the former Ministry of Railways building of the Nationalist Government, could hardly believe his ears when he first received the report.
"What? The Fourth Division, the Second Division... they didn't rest and deploy in the Suzhou and Wuxi areas as planned?"
"They're heading towards Nanjing?" Matsui Iwane roared into the microphone, his voice trembling with shock and anger. "What do they want? Who gave them those orders?"
On the other end of the phone came a panicked report from the frontline reconnaissance troops: "Commander, that's true! The troop strength is estimated to exceed 40,000, carrying heavy weapons, and they are marching very fast!"
We attempted to intercept and question them, but their vanguard remained adamant, only stating that they were ordered to advance towards Nanjing, refusing to disclose specific mission details, and... refusing to accept our command!
Matsui Iwane felt a wave of dizziness, and he immediately realized that his worst fears had come true!
Takasaki Takuto's counterattack went far beyond the complaints and rumors in Kyoto; he directly mobilized a powerful military force to force Takasaki to abdicate!
He suppressed his panic and sternly ordered, "Immediately connect me to the radios of Matsui Michiru of the 4th Division, Okamura Yasuji of the 2nd Division... and all the division commanders! I want to question them personally!"
However, something even more terrifying happened to Matsui Iwane.
The staff officers took turns calling the divisional headquarters, and the responses they received were either "radio signals are severely interfered with and cannot be connected" or polite but indifferent replies from the communications officer on the other end: "The divisional commander is currently directing the troops to advance and is unable to speak in person. If there is anything important, it can be relayed in writing."
On one occasion, the 2nd Division's radio station directly replied: "Our unit is acting on classified orders and does not need to report to the Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters."
Silence! This is a silence more terrifying than direct disobedience!
This means that these divisions have made up their minds to break away from his command structure and are acting with impunity!