Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

16th Division, Kyoto Division.

Pre-war status: Approximately 2.5 men. They landed on the Central China battlefield at the end of the Battle of Shanghai. After breaking through the Xicheng defense line and the subsequent Battle of Nanjing, they suffered casualties. However, they relied on the strong permanent fortresses of Mufu Mountain and Wulong Mountain for defense. They possessed heavy artillery and were easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Before the civil war, the division had about 1.8 men remaining; after the war, it had about 8 men remaining, resulting in a total loss of about 1.7 men.

In this battle, the 16th Division was also unlucky, as it was targeted by the Navy.

The Wulong Mountain and Mufu Mountain forts, which they defended, were a major threat to the Kwantung Army and Navy.

The Navy's cruiser "Izumo" engaged in a prolonged joint bombardment with its 203mm main guns and the Kwantung Army's heavy artillery.

The fortifications were destroyed one by one, and the exposed artillery positions were subjected to dive bombing by naval aircraft.

By the end of the battle, the 22nd Field Heavy Artillery Regiment of the 16th Division was practically defunct.

Subsequently, the 16th Division attempted to retreat downstream by water, consisting mainly of engineers and logistics units. However, they were intercepted and strafed by naval vessels, their transport ships were sunk, and countless people drowned.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Division Commander Nakajima Kesago accepted Terauchi Hisaichi's order and chose to surrender in advance. Most of the troops chose to lay down their weapons in an organized manner, which avoided massacre-style losses in the final stage.

But such heavy casualties also meant that the entire division's fighting spirit had completely collapsed.

. . . . . . . . .

The 13th Division fought its way from Shanghai to Nanjing. After the civil war, statistics showed that only fewer than three thousand men remained... almost entirely annihilated.

Because of their steadfast resistance, many soldiers died in the chaotic street battles and from the "rebels'" gruesome attacks with grenades and flamethrowers during their building-by-building raids.

18th Division, Kurume Division, 114th Division, Utsunomiya Division.

While attempting to break through towards Jurong, they were met with a fierce attack from the pre-positioned positions of the 14th Division of North China.

The breakout force lacked heavy weapons and suffered heavy casualties under the enemy's dense machine gun and mortar fire.

Both sides suffered more than 40% casualties. The charging teams were swept down in large numbers in the open ground. After the failed breakout, their morale collapsed completely, and they retreated back to their starting positions.

In addition, approximately 1.5 military engineers, logistics personnel, and aviation ground crews dispatched from Central China were drawn into the battle.

Many non-combatants were killed by mistake by both sides in the chaos.

The casualty rate is estimated at 30%-40%, approximately 5000 people.

Furthermore, several army aviation squadrons of the Central China Expeditionary Army were almost relentlessly pursued and annihilated by naval aircraft, eventually becoming too afraid to take off and engage the enemy.

. . . . . . . .

Total losses of the Central China Expeditionary Army: Approximately 15 troops participated in the battle.

The total number of casualties, prisoners, and escapees exceeded 8.

Of these, the number of those killed in action or rendered combat ineffective in the short term due to serious injuries is estimated to exceed 3.

This does not include the large number of "Matsui loyalists" who were purged and executed by the "rebels" in the chaos, as well as soldiers who were shot by their own supervisory teams on charges of "undermining morale" and "deserting in the face of battle." These "non-combat casualties" are difficult to count, but conservatively estimated to be no less than several thousand.

The organizational structure and combat effectiveness of the entire Central China Expeditionary Army were completely destroyed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

On the other hand, the "rebels" paid a heavy price for their victory.

Despite having the initiative, good morale, and the ability to capture the Central China Expeditionary Army, which was well-fortified and fighting desperately, the "rebels" also paid a heavy price.

Due to differences in mission intensity, combat style, and "fighting spirit," casualties varied significantly among different units.

Kwantung Army System: 2nd Division.

Having experienced the Battle of Shanghai, it was present in every subsequent bloody battle of Shanghai.

Ultimately, due to heavy casualties, the entire division, including the wounded, had only 1.5 men left. Matsui Iwane remained near Shanghai to rest and did not participate in subsequent battles.

However, when it came to the rebels' side, this Sendai Division once again became the main force in the siege, undertaking the most arduous task of breaking through from the front.

More than 10,000 elite troops rushed to Nanjing day and night to deliver the most fatal blow to Matsui Iwane.

In this battle, the 2nd Division suffered approximately 4000 casualties.

The casualties were concentrated in the initial battles to breach the city gates. When breaking through the concrete fortifications at Guanghua Gate and Zhongshan Gate, the assault engineers suffered heavy casualties in the demolition operations, and the infantry accompanying the charge suffered huge losses under the intense fire of the defending forces.

The subsequent fighting for control of the city, floor by floor and house by house, with the remnants of the 6th and 9th Divisions was the main source of casualties.

Sniper attacks, sniper fire, booby traps, and grenade assaults have resulted in heavy losses even among experienced elite infantry.

It is common for a typical infantry company to lose one-third of its men after a day of urban warfare.

However, the professional skills of the artillery and engineers of the 2nd Division did effectively reduce the overall casualties of the infantry, but the casualty rate of the several infantry battalions that served as the vanguard was still as high as 40%-50%.

The 4th Division, the Osaka Division, became an "anomaly" in this civil war.

The casualties are estimated at around 2000.

The sources of casualties are relatively unique, mostly occurring in unavoidable head-on firefights, or when sniped or shot during the "cleansing" of remaining enemy forces.

It is worth noting that the division successfully persuaded the surrender of a large number of remnants of the Central China Expeditionary Army by employing its expertise in "battlefield negotiations" and "psychological offensives," which objectively reduced the intensity of the main battle and thus preserved its own strength to a certain extent.

However, its reputation for "passively avoiding battle" also aroused strong dissatisfaction among other divisions within the Kwantung Army.

The division reported a large number of enemy supplies and personnel that it had "captured" and "received." Its "unconventional" tactics not only reduced its own losses but also accumulated leverage for the division of spoils after the war.

The 7th Division, the Asahikawa Division, was an elite force of the Kwantung Army. It was responsible for the assault on Shimonoseki and Yijiangmen and the blockade of the riverbank. The tank units were transferred to cooperate with other divisions in the operation.

Detailed battle reports indicate that there were approximately 2500 casualties, but the overall combat strength was not significantly reduced and the organization remained relatively intact.

The main losses occurred during the fierce attack on Xiaguan Wharf, where they fought against the logistics troops of the Central China Expeditionary Army, who were attempting to cross the river and retreat north, as well as the routed soldiers.

The battle unfolded on the docks, warehouses, ships, and river, resulting in extreme chaos and heavy casualties on both sides.

The long riverbank blockade battle involved troops scattered along the long front to intercept small groups of retreating soldiers. The battles were frequent and highly unpredictable, making them vulnerable to attacks from concealed fire.

Another issue is friendly fire during coordinated operations. Due to communication and coordination problems, there have been several incidents where shells accidentally landed on our own positions during naval gunfire, causing unnecessary losses.

The 8th Division, the Hirosaki Division, operated in conjunction with the 7th Division, and launched a major attack on the flank of Mount Sakufu and the area north of the city.

Battle reports indicate approximately 2200 casualties, which, like those of the 7th Division, had little impact on combat effectiveness.

The division's casualties mainly occurred when it attacked the outer strongholds of the Mufu Mountain Fortress, where it encountered fierce resistance from the 16th Division and suffered heavy losses during the uphill assault.

During the clearing of a large area north of the city, the complex terrain made it easy for ambushes to occur, and the accumulated losses of small units were considerable.