230

Episode 230: What we fight for (4)

March 29, 1943

New Fuhrer's Residence in Berlin, Germany

In the Pacific, American troops landed in Tarawa, and Japanese troops attacked Imphal in the Assam region of India.

I looked into it just in case and found it.

The name of the Japanese commander who ordered the attack on Imphal was Renya Mutaguchi.

The highest diploma in the Japanese Army, who left behind many famous sayings that are still talked about in the 21st century.

Fortunately, there was a rebellion in India and the state of the British army was unpredictable, so although it was more favorable to Japan than actual history, the ending did not seem to be much different.

Considering how large India is in the first place, Japan, who is busy fighting in China and Southeast Asia, targeting India is like a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant.

Anyway, when the Japanese army began its offensive, Britain increased additional troops to defend India.

The number of divisions Britain dispatched to India was three.

Although it is not a very large number, sending three divisions was a level of expenditure that could never be laughed at for Britain, whose army was cut in half.

Just as the same 10,000 won has different value to a person who receives a monthly salary of 1.5 million won and a person who receives 5 million won.

Anyway, it's good for Germany. The more Britain fights with Japan over India, the more successful Operation Sea Lion will be.

We can just mind our own business.

"Mr. President. "I am reporting on the results of Operation Cosmos."

In order to find out how far Britain had cracked our code, Heydrich built runways for the Naval Air Corps on different uninhabited islands in Norway using an older Enigma with five wheels, a later Enigma with eight wheels, and Lorentz. A communication was sent.

Nothing happened to the island where the communication was sent using Lorentz and the late-model Enigma, but the island where the communication was sent using the older Enigma was soon surprise bombed by the RAF.

From this, we learned that Britain could not even decipher the late Enigma, let alone Lorentz.

… … No. Even without Turing, they were able to decipher the old Enigma, so they did a surprisingly good job.

"Good job, Heydrich. Because of your actions, the war ended a year early. "It is the greatest achievement that no one has ever accomplished."

"I was just following the orders of His Excellency the Fuhrer."

Despite his words, Heydrich's face was full of pride. As I lifted it up a little more, it now seemed difficult to even hide my smile.

"If it weren't for the SD you lead, the battle would still be going on on the Eastern Front. "When the war is over, I will award you the Knight's Cross of Diamonds and Blades."

"thank you. "I will work harder until the day of final victory."

"Let's just go out and see."

Heydrich shouted Heil Hitler in a loud voice and then walked away, clattering his hooves.

Thanks to the information Heydrich gave me, I felt much lighter.

Now that we know how capable the British are, all that's left is to turn their attention elsewhere.

To do so, we must first wave a bait in front of the British people that they cannot ignore.

If it was bait, I had something in mind in advance.

Spain and Türkiye. Middle East, oil, Mediterranean.

Isn't this enough bait to eat?

If you don't get shaken after seeing this, you're not Churchill. Something that imitates Churchill.

Any Churchill I know would definitely take the bait. certainly.

***

Training of armored units was in full swing at a training ground located on the outskirts of Nancy, a city close to the newly adjusted German-French border.

"Shoot!"

The Tiger's 88mm main gun burst into flames. Since this was a mock engagement rather than a real situation, blank ammunition, not live ammunition, was used in the training.

-Beep!

When Team White's last tank was declared destroyed, the whistle sounded to signal the end of training.

"Good!"

The new second lieutenant, Otto Carius, who had marked the finale of his training, clenched his fists and waved wildly.

Unlike the white team soldiers who lost in the battle, who were in tears, the victorious blue team soldiers smiled brightly and offered warm words of consolation to the losers.

"Hit hard, bastards!"

"If it were me, I would commit suicide."

"Hahaha!!"

"Lieutenant, I have a question."

"try."

On the way back from training, gunner Sergeant Kramer asked Karius.

"The second lieutenant said that you fought the Roskes before and won 3:1. Is that true?"

"then. "Can't you see these medals here?"

Karius waved the 1st class Iron Cross medal and military awards attached to his military uniform. These were proofs of his courage that he received after overcoming the danger of death on the Eastern Front.

"I'm more curious about whether you actually met the President."

"Honestly, aren't you being rude? "How can the Fuhrer immediately say that you are qualified to be a tank operator as soon as he sees you?"

"These? Do you think I'm lying? "Is that also at the stake of His Excellency the President?"

When not only his classmates and seniors at the military academy, but now even his subordinates questioned his story, Karius deliberately raised his voice.

However, even if I thought about it, it was a story that was difficult to believe.

Not only did I meet the Fuhrer, not only other people, but the Fuhrer himself said that I would be better suited to the cavalry than the infantry.

'If it had been someone else's story, I wouldn't have believed it either.'

Training continued in the sky.

Pilots who gained experience and performance on the Eastern Front generously passed on their know-how to novice pilots who had just been deployed to the front lines.

"Now, everyone pay attention. "If you don't focus now and talk about something else later, you'll be behind."

Marseille, the 'Star of Ukraine' who shot down 163 enemy planes and was awarded the Knight's Cross of Diamonds and Swords by the President, was already wearing the rank of major despite being only 23 years old.

Among the pilots who trained under him, there were many who were older than him, but none could match Marseille in terms of experience and track record.

"The most important thing in aerial combat is agility. Now, everyone, follow along. "In aerial combat, agility is the most important."

"In aerial combat, agility is the most important."

Fighter Chief Superintendent Moulders and Air Defense Command Commander Gallant also directly participated in the training of successor pilots.

Normally, each general would take a step back from training front-line pilots, but this was not the case for these two.

On the contrary, I was very happy to have the opportunity to fly in the sky instead of at my boring desk for the first time in a while.

"Hey, young friend! That's not how you do it! "The turning is too fast!"

-Is that so?

"okay. You kept talking. The turning shouldn't be slow, but it shouldn't be too fast either. You have to get your timing right! Now, watch what I do."

As Gallant, who was at the controls of the Schwalbe, made a perfect turn without a single hitch, exclamations of exclamation erupted from the radio station.

Only one person burst into laughter instead of exclamation.

-Hey, Gallant. Aren't you too excited to be in front of new recruits?

"I'm so excited. "Your Excellency, I am just showing you an example as a senior, right?"

-Yes, yes. I understand.

Despite his enormous title as Marshal of the Reich, when Göring had time, he would attend the training of front-line pilots and give them various instructions or give demonstrations himself.

But today's training instructor was none other than Gallant, so he didn't say anything. Sometimes I just joke.

"good. "I feel a little better now."

Naval Air Corps Commander Bück was relieved when all the aircraft that had sortied landed safely on the deck of Graf Zeppelin.

The Bf109T previously operated by the Naval Air Corps and the new jet aircraft He 290 were completely new, completely different from head to toe.

Of course, the performance of the He 290 was overwhelmingly better, but the operation method was also difficult, so pilots who were accustomed to the Bf109T had difficulty controlling it.

When the He 290 was first acquired by the Naval Air Corps, three aircraft were lost during training, all of which occurred during transfer and landing.

However, through repeated training, all existing veterans became familiar with the operation of the He 290, and generously passed on the know-how they had acquired through their own experience to their successors.

However, new recruits who were not yet familiar with flying jets often caused accidents where the aircraft fell into the sea.

***

Operation 21, which began with the ambitious goal of targeting the entire Indian subcontinent, was surprisingly successful in the beginning.

It was not that the British army was completely unaware of the suspicious movements of the Japanese army, but they had no idea that the Japanese army's goal was to invade India.

As the U.S. military's offensive began in the South Pacific region, it was predicted that they would focus on defending the South Pacific islands for a while.

"Those guys who are busy fighting the U.S. military in the South Pacific are suddenly launching an offensive. Does that make sense?"

"It must be a preliminary preparation for the defense of Burma. "Maybe it was aimed at southern China."

Above all, for the British troops stationed in India, subjugating rebels running rampant throughout India, especially in the Balochistan region, was more urgent than guarding against the Japanese military.

Therefore, some people warned in advance that the Japanese military might take advantage of India's confusion to launch an offensive, but their voices never reached the headquarters.

If the Japanese military had any sense, they would focus more on defending the South Pacific than India, so they would not attack India.

Or, even if they were aiming to attack India, they predicted that they would first aim to seize control of the Indian Ocean by landing in Ceylon.

Therefore, when the Japanese army launched an offensive in the Imphal and Kohima areas, the British army was greatly embarrassed.

"Tenno Heika Banzai!"

"Banzai!"

The Japanese army was exhausted from advancing through the rugged jungle and the Arakan Mountains, but the British army stationed in Imphal and Kohima also had just as many problems as the Japanese army.

Because a number of British divisions were deployed to suppress the rebels, only three Indian infantry divisions were stationed in Imphal and Kohima.

Although their armament was not bad, they consisted only of new recruits with little combat experience.

On the other hand, since it was an important operation in its own way, the Japanese military selected elite divisions with extensive combat experience and were well-armed from the troops stationed in Indochina and deployed them with priority.

"The enemies are a ragtag bunch who are no match for the imperial army!"

"The liberation of Asia is not far away! Tenno Heika Banzai!"

"Banzaiyi!!!"

Even these elite divisions were tired and sick due to the forced march and lack of supplies, but when the battle began, they soon began to overwhelm the inexperienced and low morale Indian troops.

"It's a tank! "Run away!"

"for a moment! Don't run away! "Stay where you are!"

As Indian soldiers began to flee, British officers fired pistols into the air to stop them.

Nevertheless, the number of soldiers leaving their positions and running away increased rapidly.

A brave Bengali soldier fired his Boyce anti-tank rifle at a Type 3 tank that was advancing with a 47mm main gun, putting a bullet into its side.

While the driver, whose leg was amputated by the bullet that penetrated the armor, screamed and stopped the tank, a second bullet was fired and exploded the driver's head.

As smoke began to emanate from the Type 3 tank, which had been repeatedly hit by armor-piercing bullets on its thinly armored side, shouts of hurray erupted from the Indian army camp.

However, they completely lost their morale and hastily retreated due to the aggressive appearance of the Japanese army, who charged in while shouting 'Banzai', regardless of the tank being destroyed.

"Report from the 32nd and 33rd Divisions. "We have broken through the British army's main defense line and are advancing toward the Imphal area!"

"Oh, this can't be right…" … ."

The Japanese military staff, who had doubted the feasibility of the operation, were taken aback when news of victory arrived from the front-line units.

It was an operation that made no sense according to common sense and was almost certain to fail, but when the results turned out to be exactly the opposite, they couldn't believe their eyes and ears.

I even suspected that the front-line unit might have been defeated and had hidden it and posted a false report, so I ordered a second check, but the report that arrived at the 15th Army headquarters was true.

"it serves him right! Aren't I right! "The imperial army is invincible!!"

The person who was most excited about the victory was Renya Mutaguchi himself, who had planned the Imphal invasion and put it into action.

For Renya, who was confident that the operation would be successful when everyone else said it couldn't be done, it was a happiest experience than anything else.

"There is no way those lowly British bastards can win against the invincible imperial army, cancer. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, that's right…" … ."

"I can't be satisfied with Imphal alone. Yes, as soon as the occupation of Imphal and Kohima is completed, we will first advance to the Brahmaputra River. It occupies the Bengal and Assam Railways extending from Calcutta. Take Ledo too. Then advance to the red walls of Delhi. How about it, hahaha?"

Excited by the news of victory, Renya brought a map himself, traced the city and river with his hand, and explained to his staff his plan to conquer India.

The staff smiled awkwardly, wondering whether they should be purely happy about the imperial army's victory or embarrassed that their expectations were completely wrong.

However, despite Renya's pride, the Japanese military's propaganda only went so far.

Thanks to a combination of incompetence and mistakes by the British army, they succeeded in capturing Imphal, but the Japanese army could not advance any further.

The Japanese army also suffered significant damage from the battle with the British army, and the supply of supplies, which was exactly inversely proportional to the size of the army, the difficult terrain, and the resulting delay in supply hindered the Japanese army.

Soon, the 15th Army headquarters began to receive complaints about material shortages and requests to expedite the supply of food and medicine.

However, despite the countless requests for supplies, Renya was still at peace.

"Supply is being delayed? Then just eat grass and tree roots! "Aren't there grass and trees all over the world?"

"But, Sir, they say that most of the plants in the jungle are poisonous and cannot be eaten by humans, so we cannot eat them if we try. There have already been reports of soldiers dying from eating poisonous plants in front-line units."

"To prevent such a thing from happening, didn't they bring in scholars from far away to create and distribute an illustrated book that distinguished edible and inedible poisonous plants? Aren't these all misfortunes caused by a lack of mental power? And if you don't want to eat only grass, you can slaughter horses and cows and eat them!"

It was true that Renya created and distributed plant guides to each unit.

There was no error in the contents of the encyclopedia. Rather, the encyclopedia was accurate. The only problem was that it was very difficult to find the edible plants shown in the guidebook.

It was also true that horses and cattle that were mobilized were slaughtered and eaten instead of trucks, which were difficult to move in jungles and mountainous areas.

However, even if they did that, not only was the quantity obtained not only small, but the meat obtained from slaughter quickly rotted due to the influence of squalls that frequently fell in the jungle.

Because supplies were so scarce, soldiers boiled or grilled spoiled meat in water, or ate it as is.

This soon caused enteritis, dysentery, and food poisoning, and many soldiers fell ill and slowly died.

Considering these circumstances, the capture of Imphal was actually a miracle.

But Renya didn't think so.

From his perspective, as he never had to fight on the front lines, capturing Imphal was only natural.

"Kohima is right in front of you, but you stop your advance. Are you saying that you are still the imperial army? "The finish line is just around the corner, but isn't it the same as lying down on the floor and crawling instead of running?"

In the eyes of Renya, who lived 24 hours a day in the comfortable headquarters building in the rear, Kohima was just a stone's throw away. You only have to go a little further, but you stop here!

"This is the imperial army's shame! "You bastards!!"

Renya went on a rampage, but the Japanese army, who had already exhausted all their strength, collapsed at Imphal.

They were occupying Kohima, and what they needed most was a meal to relieve their hunger right now.

However, who would have thought that the Japanese military's propaganda, which was short and thin like the flapping of a butterfly's wings, would return as a gigantic tornado.