Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 870 Secret Meeting of the Japanese Navy Ministry, Yoshida, the Dark Chess, Makes Another Con

Fang Wen thought for a while, weighing the pros and cons.

Ultimately, they decided not to make any changes to avoid causing further trouble.

But in order to ensure that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor could proceed smoothly, he had to keep an eye on the progress.

He then sent a telegram to Yoshida at 8 p.m.

The radio waves traveled across the ocean and reached Tokyo.

Because of the different time zone, it is 9 p.m. here.

It was precisely the time Yoshida had agreed to send the telegram.

At his home in Tokyo, Yoshida received a coded telegram from Fang Wen and prepared to act according to his orders.

Tokyo, late December 1941.

Naval Ministry Council Room.

The entire building was cut off from all external communication, guarded by soldiers, and the atmosphere inside was heavy.

There were no formalities or formalities of an imperial conference here, no hierarchical constraints imposed by the presence of the Emperor. This was the last secret, closed-door debate among the top officials of the Japanese Army, Navy, Cabinet, and Finance Department regarding "whether to go to war with the United States."

The meeting was chaired by Osamu Nagano, Chief of the Naval General Staff and a supporter of the naval war faction.

He, who held the real operational decision-making power in the Japanese Navy, sat in the main seat.

His right-hand man was his most trusted confidant, Major General Yoshida, who had just been transferred back from Guangzhou Bay.

Yoshida, as the recorder at this meeting, will witness this game of strategy.

The attendees included key figures from the current Japanese military and political factions:

The group included the moderates Yamamoto Iso, Yonai Mitsumasa, and Inoue Shigemi; the pro-war faction in the Ministry of the Navy, Oikawa Koshiro; the compromise faction in the Army's southward advance, representatives of the Army Ministry's Military Affairs Bureau; representatives of the remaining civilian officials from the Konoe Cabinet, negotiating officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and heads of the finance and economic departments.

Everyone knew that the outcome of this meeting would directly determine whether Japan would go to war with the United States.

Osamu Nagano looked around at all the attendees and said:

"I have gathered you all here today for one reason only. The negotiations between the United States and Japan have broken down, and the United States' comprehensive oil embargo and asset freeze are now a foregone conclusion. The Empire's naval and air fuel reserves have only enough for one year of combat operations, and its land and sea mobile forces are about to be exhausted."

"The empire has only two paths before it. First, compromise with the United States, withdraw troops on a large scale from the battlefield of the invasion of China, give up its expansion rights, and bow down to Britain and the United States; second, advance south at full speed, launch a surprise attack on the main force of the US military in the Pacific, seize the oil fields of the Dutch East Indies and the rubber resources of Malaysia, build its own Greater East Asia resource circle, and break the deadlock through war."

"Today, all factions are speaking their minds frankly, without any need to hide their true intentions."

As soon as the words were spoken, the deathly silent council chamber erupted into a cacophony of arguments.

The first to stand up and speak was Yamamoto Iso, a core member of the Navy's moderate faction.

"I am firmly opposed to war with the United States."

"As you all know, the United States' industrial capacity, steel, shipbuilding, and oil production capacity are ten times that of ours. Now, the Empire's overseas fuel supply has been completely cut off, and its naval reserves are only enough for a year of hard-fought battles. Even if our army is lucky enough to annihilate the Pacific Fleet in one battle, it will only cripple the United States' combat power temporarily."

"Given the industrial strength of the United States, it could rebuild a completely new navy within three years, one far exceeding the size and combat power of the Pacific Fleet. How should we respond then?"

"The invasion of China has exhausted our national strength. We must not open a new front in the Pacific. At present, we should make diplomatic compromises, withdraw troops in a limited manner, ease relations with the United States and Japan, preserve the existing gains of the occupation, and allow the country to recuperate."

Yoshida looked up at Yamamoto Iso and carefully noted down his arguments, intending to send them to Fang Wen that evening.

Subsequently, Mitsumasa Yonai and Shigemi Inoue seconded the motion, and the three of them shared the same position, advocating against war with the United States.

The moderates' remarks resonated with many civilian officials present, but thoroughly enraged the naval hawks.

Oikawa Koshiro stood up, angrily retorting:

"Commander Yamamoto is too conservative and is exaggerating!"

"Let's not talk about three years from now, let's talk about the present! The oil embargo is now a dead end. Within six months, the navy will be unable to sail without oil and the army will be unable to maneuver. At that time, the empire's years of expansion will be completely wasted! We will collapse without a fight, even without the United States taking action!"

"Destroying the Pacific Fleet is buying time to seize resources in Southeast Asia, depriving the United States of its ability to intervene in the Far East, and forcing the US to acknowledge the established facts. This is the only way for the empire to survive! As long as we obtain the resources of Southeast Asia, we will become stronger, and the things you are worried about will not happen at all!"

The two sides were locked in a standoff, exchanging heated words and refusing to yield.

This also left the army and civilian officials with no say.

Osamu Nagano, sitting in the main seat and serving as Chief of the Naval General Staff, suppressed the argument and looked at the Army representative:

What is the Army's position?

The army representative stood up, his expression complex:

"The core focus of the army has always been the Chinese battlefield. Previously, it insisted on attacking the Soviet Union from the north to seek resources on the mainland. It never thought of going to war with the world's leading industrial power, the United States."

"The Navy has been competing with the Army for steel, oil, and military spending for years. Now that the stalemate in the invasion of China has not been broken, it wants to forcibly open a front in the South China Sea, which the Army cannot agree to! If the Navy had not insisted on advancing south and wantonly expanding the war, how could it have angered the United States and incurred an embargo?"

The pro-war faction in the navy immediately retorted: "If the army hadn't been so deeply mired in China, constantly consuming massive amounts of resources and exacerbating tensions between Britain and the United States, how could the Empire be in such a resource-deprived state today? The army is holding onto the quagmire on the mainland, refusing to move south to break the deadlock, thus dragging down the lifeline of the entire nation!"

The long-standing grievances and strategic rivalry between the Army and Navy erupted completely at this meeting, with mutual accusations and buck-passing leading to a brief period of chaos.

Seeing this, the civil service cabinet faction immediately seized the opportunity to speak out.

The civil service representative from the former Fumihiro Konoe cabinet rose, speaking earnestly:

"The military cannot be solely hardline! There is still room for compromise in the US-Japan negotiations. We can take the initiative to make concessions, reduce the size of our troops stationed in China, and make it clear that we will not interfere in the Philippine colonies. In exchange, we can get the US to lift the embargo and restore trade, thus protecting all the core expansion interests of the empire. Why gamble the fate of the nation with war?"

The Chancellor of the Exchequer went even further, issuing a direct warning:

"I want to make it clear to you all that once war breaks out with the United States, overseas trade will be completely cut off, and domestic food, steel, and fuel will be completely depleted. The wartime economy will not last more than a year and a half. At that time, not only will the front lines collapse, but the domestic livelihood will be the first to crumble! The military's theory of a quick victory has absolutely no economic support!"

The civil service and the financial system were the most steadfast advocates of avoiding war and negotiating peace throughout the entire meeting, vehemently rejecting the resolution to go to war based on national strength, people's livelihood, and the economy.

But the hardliners in the military remained unmoved.

They wage wars and have become accustomed to plunder. So what if there's no trade? They're thinking they can just rob someone.

The young officers of the army responded coldly:

"Withdrawing troops from China and compromising with Britain and the United States is a disgrace to the Imperial military! The military will never accept any concessions! Civil officials only compromise and seek peace, ignoring the foundation of the Empire's expansion, and their weakness is harming the country!"

"The system of active-duty military officers serving as Ministers of the Army and Navy is still in effect. If the cabinet continues to obstruct national policies, the military can remove the ministers and overthrow the cabinet at any time, replacing it with a pro-war cabinet!"

The blatant use of force left all the civil officials present speechless.

Everyone remembers that in recent years, it has become commonplace for moderate politicians to be assassinated, intimidated, or sidelined.

Fumimasa Konoe was forced to step down because he was unable to control the military.

The Tojo cabinet, which advocates for war, has now taken shape, and the moderate approach taken by civilian officials has long been a mere formality.

As the meeting reached a stalemate, an officer entered and reported to Nagano Osamu: "Chief of Staff, news from the palace indicates that His Majesty is aware of the risks of war and harbors deep doubts, but fears a military coup and is unwilling to forcefully overturn military orders, tacitly allowing the military to determine the national policy of war on its own."

This one sentence definitively sealed the outcome of the meeting.

The Emperor's wavering and compromise meant that the last check and balance at the top had completely disappeared.

Osamu Nagano raised his hand, silencing all the arguments:

"The dispute is now over." "The diplomatic negotiations have been concluded. The United States refuses to recognize its imperial rights in China, refuses to lift the embargo, and is pressing forward relentlessly with no room for retreat."

"The empire has no oil, no resources, and no way out. If it does not fight, it will collapse on its own. If it retreats, it will perish and its army will be humiliated."

"The Naval General Staff has decided: there will be no compromise or avoidance of war, and approves preparations for war against the United States. Yamamoto Iso, immediately refine the tactical plan and prepare for war in the Pacific."

End of the meeting.

Naval officers who advocated for war were celebrating the victory.

In contrast, the group of people who advocated for a more conservative approach all had somber expressions.

The army and civilian officials have already withdrawn.

Yongye Xiu stood up and said to Yoshida, "Come with me to a place."

Yoshida put away the meeting minutes notebook and placed it in his handbag.

Instead of leaving the Navy Ministry building, the two walked through quiet and secluded corridors to a secluded private meeting room at the deepest part of the building.

The door to the reception room was pushed open, and several men dressed in Western formal attire were already waiting inside.

They are all the heads of top conglomerates that control Japan's heavy industry and military industry.

These people never stood in the limelight, but always remained behind the scenes, providing the power for the operation of Japan's war machine.

The guns, ships, warplanes, and ammunition used in the years-long invasion of China were mostly supplied by their factories. They were the most solid financial and industrial backing for Japan's external expansion, and also one of the behind-the-scenes forces that propelled Japan into war with the United States and the southward expansion to seize resources.

Upon seeing Nagano Osamu enter, the group of zaibatsu stood up and bowed, but they were not humble. Their relationship with the military was one of symbiotic interests and interdependence; they shared both prosperity and adversity.

"Chief of the Nagano Group," the tycoon said with a smile, "I presume the meeting just now has reached a conclusion?"

Osamu Nagano sat down directly: "The meeting has decided to officially begin preparations for war against the United States."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the reception room instantly became lively, and the group of tycoons revealed expressions of joy and greed.

The comprehensive embargo imposed by the United States not only affects the military, but also cuts off the lifeline of their industries.

The scarcity of strategic resources such as oil, rubber, and steel brought half of the heavy industry factories across the country to a standstill, drastically reduced military production, caused huge orders to fall through, and severely damaged the interests of conglomerates.

A host of financial magnates expressed their full support for the war, but they could not hide their extreme desire for resource plunder and a surge in wealth.

Yoshida stood silently to the side, inwardly disdainful of the chaebols' arrogance.

Looking at the issue from a different perspective, he increasingly understood the extremism and pathology of this country.

After the meeting, he took his briefcase and went home.

The father was drinking with his fellow councilors. After greeting them, he went into his room.

Looking at the time, at nine o'clock at night, he used his privately owned telegraph machine to send a telegram.

Kuala Lumpur West Camp.

8 PM.

Fang Wen returned to his residence after a day of tactical drills.

The guard, Gong Xiuneng, sat in front of the telegraph machine, listening to telegrams on a specific frequency.

A regular electrical hum came from the headphones, and Gong Xiuneng quickly recorded it.

After taking notes, he handed the telegram paper to Fang Wen: "General Manager, a call has come in."

Fang Wen took the telegram and translated it in his mind.

The content concerns a secret meeting held today.

The meeting was filled with heated arguments, but the dispute was eventually resolved with the Emperor's authorization, and the Japanese Navy began to make war preparations against the United States.

Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been secretly monitoring the Japanese military's strategic moves in Southeast Asia.

Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief; what was bound to happen would happen eventually.

Fang Wen told Gong Xiuneng to get up, and then sat down to send a telegram to Yoshida, instructing Yoshida to keep an eye on the war plan against the United States and to send him a telegram as soon as there was any news.

To ensure that Yoshida's telegrams could be received in a timely manner, he also sent a telegram to the headquarters in Yangon, instructing the telegraph office there to receive them at regular intervals each day.

After making these arrangements, Fang Wen tried to clear his mind so he could rest, since they would continue the drills tomorrow.

As the night passed, at dawn, Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng left their residence and headed towards the British army barracks.

As the commander of this counterattack, he had to get along well with the British soldiers, and eating together and experiencing their culture was the best way to do so.

British soldiers were sitting in twos and threes eating when they saw Fang Wen approaching, and they all stood up.

Yesterday's tactical instruction earned Fang Wen some respect from the British soldiers.

Fang Wen casually found an empty seat, took the standard British breakfast: a slice of ham, two compressed biscuits, and some oatmeal porridge.

He ate the unappetizing British army breakfast and chatted with the British soldiers around him, London emphasizing the need to make these soldiers feel somewhat at ease.

One of the soldiers couldn't help but ask, "Sir, did you really participate in our navy's attack on the Bismarck?"

This story came from the British military headquarters, and Fang Wen did not deny it, which made the soldiers very curious.

After all, that naval battle was considered legendary by the British.

Fang Wen smiled and replied, "I did participate, but due to confidentiality regulations, I cannot tell you about the battle. However, if this operation is successfully completed, I can talk about another event I experienced: the Normandy evacuation."

The soldiers were very much looking forward to it.

After breakfast, Fang Wen gathered all the officers together and began to explain the key points of the operation:

"My operational system is a three-dimensional air-ground structure. In addition to ground troop operations, it also requires air support. However, given the current situation, the air force has suffered significant losses and is finding it difficult to coordinate effectively. Therefore, this attack behind enemy lines will primarily rely on ground troops. You must memorize every operational route I have arranged and promptly change your routes according to my temporary command requirements to avoid direct confrontation with the Japanese army."

After speaking, he asked Gong Xiuneng to unfold the map, which was marked with routes, each named with letters and numbers. Fang Wen instructed the officers to memorize the routes to avoid misunderstandings of commands.

After confirming that the officers had memorized the route, Fang Wen had Gong Xiuneng take out the icons and stick them on the map, explaining to the officers that these icons represented the attack targets.

All these preparations are for tonight's operation. (End of Chapter)