Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

[Top Secret. Urgent

Sent from: Takazaki Takuto, Japanese Military Police Headquarters, Tianjin

Receiving: Songjiang Military Police Battalion, Captain Yusuke Ichijo

Content of the message:

I now command you:

First, we must firmly deny the existence of a "mysterious force" and submit a formal report in the name of the Military Police Battalion, sending it directly to the General Staff Headquarters in Tokyo and the Army Ministry.

The core arguments of the report:

After your department's preliminary investigation, it can be said that after questioning some of the retreating soldiers and grassroots officers of the 10th Army, no credible evidence was found to support the existence of the "mysterious force."

Descriptions such as "coastal defense artillery", "foreign armed personnel", and "indestructible" are more like exaggerations caused by the panic on the battlefield.

It was emphasized that the main reasons for the 10th Army's defeat were poor pre-war reconnaissance, chaotic landing organization, disorganized command after encountering an ambush, and fear of fighting in some troops.

It should be attributed to insufficient subjective preparation and problems with fighting will, rather than objective force majeure.

It was pointed out that this behavior of "blaming the imaginary enemy" was an extremely bad manifestation of cowardice, and if it continued in the long run, it would lead to a serious decline in the combat effectiveness of the imperial army.

It is recommended that the headquarters give serious admonitions to the senior leaders of the 10th Army and re-evaluate their combat effectiveness and command capabilities.

2. Immediately initiate a special military discipline investigation into the 10th Army.

The pretext could be "to investigate the real reasons for the failures in the Jinshanwei and Songjiang battles, and to rectify military discipline in order to facilitate future battles."

The focus of the investigation may include but is not limited to: whether there was improper command by officers at all levels during the landing phase and whether they failed to effectively control the troops.

Is there chaos in the logistics supply lines?

Verify whether the battle damage figures reported by the 10th Army are true and whether there is any false reporting or concealment.

Pay special attention to investigating whether there was large-scale looting and abuse of prisoners or civilians by soldiers of the 10th Army, and link this to "lack of fighting spirit."

Third, take the initiative to provoke and create friction.

In the next half month, you must seize every opportunity during the investigation to create conflicts with the Tenth Army Headquarters and its subordinate units.

Specific methods: Strictly check the personnel and vehicles of the 10th Army, especially those traveling to and from its headquarters, and deliberately make things difficult for them in the name of "guarding against spies and enforcing military discipline", and the attitude must be tough.

If any minor disciplinary violations are discovered among officers and soldiers of the 10th Army, such as untidy military attire or arguments with civilians, they will be dealt with immediately and in a high-profile manner, severely punished, and their superior units will be informed to demand serious action.

Military police can be sent to frequently enter and exit the Tenth Army’s base under the pretext of “assisting in the investigation” to create a tense atmosphere.

In informal occasions, he openly expressed doubts about the combat effectiveness of the 10th Army and disdain for its excuse of being a "mysterious force."

Fourth, the ultimate goal is to let the outside world, especially the headquarters, form a clear impression on other Chinese fronts and divisions within half a month. The Imperial Military Police System and the Tenth Army Command have become hostile to each other due to the determination of responsibility for the failures in Jinshanwei and Songjiang and the issue of military discipline. The contradictions have become public and acute.

There is no need to worry about the reaction of the 10th Army. I will bear all the pressure alone.

You can make decisions on the execution details on the spot, but the general direction cannot be changed.

A brief report is required every day.

Takato Takazaki]

This telegram was even more explicit than the previous one. It almost pointed at the Tenth Army Commander Heisuke Yanagawa and accused him of being "cowardly". It also wanted to put the label of "cowardly" on the entire Tenth Army through a formal report.

At the same time, ordering Yusuke Ichijo to conduct a so-called "military discipline investigation" is tantamount to a public slap in the face and provocation.

Given Yusuke Ichijo's personality, he will definitely carry out the order strictly, and a conflict with the Tenth Army will be almost inevitable.

The Tenth Army had just suffered a defeat and its morale was low, making it at its most vulnerable moment.

Denying the army's excuses for failure, accusing it of "cowardice", and launching a high-pressure investigation at this time would greatly undermine the morale and cohesion of the 10th Army, weaken Yanagawa Heisuke's authority, and make it difficult for the army to exert its full strength in the subsequent Battle of Nanjing. It may even be slow to act due to internal instability.

By singling out the Tenth Army for attack, a rift could be created within the Japanese forces in central China.

In order to maintain the overall image of the front, Matsui Iwane may have to protect the 10th Army, but this will lead to more intense confrontation with the gendarmerie system that is holding on to it.

If Matsui Iwane chose to sacrifice the car to save the king and sacrifice part of the interests of the 10th Army to quell the incident, it would further chill the morale of the officers and soldiers of the 10th Army and aggravate internal conflicts.

Divert attention from the "mysterious forces".

Although the system has concealed the traces of advanced weapons, the rumors of the "mysterious forces" are still a hidden danger.

By publicly denying this and characterizing it as an "excuse for cowardice" through the military police system, this discussion can be suppressed at the official level and the focus can be shifted to the "problems" of the 10th Army itself.

To pave the way for subsequent actions, Yusuke Ichijo takes a tough stance in the Matsue area.

A chaotic Tenth Army that is closely watched by the military police is far more likely to be indirectly affected than a well-organized Tenth Army that follows orders.

Two-line provocation, mutually confirming each other.

Provoke Matsui Iwane's headquarters in the direction of Shanghai, and provoke Yanagawa Heisuke's 10th Army in the direction of Songjiang.

The two conflicts broke out almost simultaneously, which would send a strong signal to the outside world that Tianjin Military Police Commander Zhou Zhengqing was "declaring war" on the entire Central China Front Army!

This all-round and fierce internal struggle will be extremely confusing and will also lay the groundwork for what will happen in the future to the greatest extent.

He called Yamaguchi Masaki again and asked him to take away the telegram which was also marked as the highest level of secrecy.

Zhou Zhengqing walked to the window and stared at the quiet night sky outside.

But his inner world was already filled with dark clouds, lightning and thunder.

The two secret telegrams, like two poisonous arrows, were aimed directly at the core command and main combat corps of the Japanese army in central China.

But he had no choice.

In order to seize a chance of survival in the doomed catastrophe, he must transform himself into a demon and ignite the flames of war within his own camp.

He seemed to be able to see the fanatical light of "defending military discipline" in the eyes of that stubborn guy Yusuke Ichijo after receiving the telegram.

It is also conceivable how furious Yanagawa Heisuke would be when he received provocation and accusations of "cowardice" from the gendarmerie.

He turned back to the map and looked at the vast northern China again.

Next, it’s time to pay a proper “visit” to our friends in the Kwantung Army.

The fire in the south has been lit, and the north wind is about to blow.

In this big drama written and directed by him, all the characters are about to appear on stage one after another.

In the future, I will be known for being "upright", "stubborn", even "unreasonable" and "vindictive".

The military police have become notoriously "tough guys" and have an almost paranoid obsession with military discipline clauses.