Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

On the summit of a mountain outside Nanjing, at an altitude of 448.9 meters, in a semi-permanent artillery observation post that had been repaired overnight by engineers, Colonel Taro Shigeno, commander of the 4th Field Artillery Regiment of the 4th Division of the Kwantung Army, was checking the firing data table spread out on the ammunition box for the last time by the dim light of a lantern.

His face, which was usually always smiling, was expressionless at this moment, with only his tightly pursed lips revealing his inner solemnity.

In the telescope's field of view, the direction of Nanjing was pitch black, with only the searchlight beams of several Japanese warships on the Yangtze River in the direction of Xiaguan, like pale ghostly claws, occasionally piercing the night.

The outline of that ancient capital, silent in the darkness before dawn, resembled a huge, wounded, trapped beast.

I raised my wrist; the watch hands pointed to 4:45.

The cold touch of the watch case made his fingertips tremble slightly.

This was not an artillery barrage on the Chinese army's positions; the cannons were pointed at our compatriots in the Central China Expeditionary Army.

A sense of absurdity and heaviness weighed on his heart, but he quickly dispelled it. Commander Takasaki's orders were paramount, especially since this matter concerned the honor and disgrace of the Kwantung Army system and the future distribution of benefits.

Yesterday, my father-in-law, Yoshinobu Kazuma, sent me a telegram, urging me to make a good contribution in this battle so that he could arrange a promotion for me.

So this isn't just "official business" anymore; for both professional and personal reasons, I have to give it my all today! I have to deliver a stellar performance!

"Final inspection of all artillery positions!" Taro Shigeno's hoarse voice relayed the message to artillery positions across the hillside via field telephone.

"Gun position number one, Type 1 howitzer, propellant charge fully loaded, instantaneous fuse, parameters set!"

"Number two gun positions..."

"Number three..."

The responses came one after another, cold, mechanical, and tinged with a barely perceptible tension.

These artillerymen from Osaka, who might normally be more adept at calculating the ratio of shell cost to "trophy" value, also demonstrated the qualities of professional soldiers under the strict orders of Division Commander Matsui and Regiment Commander.

They knew that the target they were to bombard today was the core hub of another elite force of the Imperial Army, the Central China Expeditionary Army.

The cannons were no longer loaded with grenades intended for the Chinese army's fortifications, but with Type 91 armor-piercing shells and Type 90 sharp-point shells specifically designed to destroy strongholds and command posts. These expensive munitions were originally intended for Soviet fortifications or the core defenses of Chinese cities, but now they were to be used against "our own people."

4:55.

The air in the observatory seemed to freeze, and Shigeno could hear his heart pounding heavily in his chest.

He picked up the phone and called the division headquarters.

"Requesting final instructions."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the same deep and resolute voice of Division Commander Matsui came through: "Time: 5:00 AM. Execute the 'cleaning' operation! Repeat."

"Hey! It's 5 o'clock sharp, time to begin the 'cleaning' operation!"

Taro Shigeno put down the phone and took a deep breath of the cold air.

Looking up at his watch, Taro Shigeno stared intently at the slowly moving hands.

Five o'clock sharp!

Taro Shigeno turned around and nodded heavily to the messenger behind him.

The messenger suddenly raised the red signal flag in his hand and waved it downwards with all his might!

Almost simultaneously, another soldier pressed the button on a large hand-cranked siren, and the piercing, ear-piercing shriek instantly tore apart the silence before dawn!

"Fire!!!" Shigeno's roar mingled with the alarm, like the horn of death.

The next second, the earth shook violently.

On the southern slope of Zijin Mountain, in Xiaolingwei in the eastern suburbs, outside Qilin Gate, on dozens of pre-constructed artillery positions, more than 500 cannons of various calibers, from 75mm mountain guns to 150mm heavy howitzers, spewed out dazzling tongues of fire!

The muzzle storm whipped up snow and dust from the ground, forming brief, menacing clouds of smoke.

The enormous roars combined, no longer the monotonous sound of cannons, but a continuous, ear-piercing rumble of thunder that shook the earth violently, even making the rocks beneath the observation post hum.

The shells ripped through the frigid air, emitting a chilling whistle, like the scythe of death, raining down on the designated target area.

Key city gate towers, sections of city walls such as Zhonghua Gate, Guanghua Gate, and Zhongshan Gate in the east and south of Nanjing, as well as deeper inside, have been identified as the headquarters of the Central China Expeditionary Army, the former Ministry of Railways building, communications center, artillery positions, and material storage points!

The first salvo was shockingly accurate.

Through the high-powered scope, Shigeno clearly saw that a corner of the majestic gate tower of Zhonghua Gate collapsed under continuous hits, sending up a huge column of smoke.

A section of the city wall near Guanghua Gate was directly sheared down by a barrage of 150mm grenades.

Further into the city, several huge plumes of fire and thick smoke rose up, signs that heavy artillery shells had hit important buildings.

"Correct the parameters, 003 to the left, add two, fire rapidly! Fire half the base number!" Maoye roared into the phone, his voice slightly distorted with excitement and tension.

"Insufficient firepower... Fear of insufficient firepower..." Taro Shigeno muttered to himself, recalling the phrase he first heard in his room in the main building of Harbin Railway Station.

He's finally starting to understand something now.

Not enough... Still not enough... The explosions aren't big enough... There aren't enough cannons... The caliber isn't enough...

The spectacular and destructive power of the shelling left Taro Shigeno completely mesmerized.

However, unlike previous bombardments of the Chinese defenders, this time the city did not immediately descend into the large-scale chaos that had been expected after the artillery barrage.

On the contrary, after the initial silence, counter-attack artillery fire suddenly rose from several directions within the city!

Although much smaller in scale and appearing scattered and hasty, the shells did indeed land near the artillery positions at the foot of Zijin Mountain, kicking up clouds of mud.

"Report! Enemy artillery counterattack! Bearing xx, suspected to be a 75mm field gun!"

"Baka! It's the artillery of the 6th Division! They've reacted!" A commotion broke out in the observation post.

Shigeno's heart sank.

As expected, the Central China Expeditionary Army was not a lamb to the slaughter.

They possess equally sophisticated equipment and well-trained artillery.

This "artillery battle" was a tough fight from the very beginning.

Almost at the same time the shelling began, the tank units of the 2nd Division also launched an attack in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing.

More than a dozen Type 97 medium tanks and Type 95 light tanks roared with their engines, forming a wedge-shaped attack formation, leading the infantry behind them who were crouching low and attacking in skirmish lines, rushing towards Yaohuamen and Qilinmen.

Tank tracks rolled over frozen farmland and ruins at night, while machine gun turrets spat fire, sweeping across any suspicious targets.

But their attack was immediately met with fierce resistance from the Japanese army as well!