Canteen System Assistance Notes

"After arriving at Itozaki Station, call the Army Headquarters in Hiroshima to inquire about the situation." He had some impression of the burning island, but because the memory was a little old, it seemed unclear: it should be a factory where the army produced something? He didn't know what caused the fire.

Prince Asaka Naruhiko adjusted his pajamas, resting his hands on the observation window, and continued to watch. The rising clouds of smoke continued to swirl, illuminated by the flames and the morning light, creating a hellish display of light and shadow. Beneath the leaden black cloud ceiling, a rolling mass of clouds was surging along the sea, plunging towards Tadami Town ahead of the train.

He didn't feel that the train seemed to be heading into a thickening fog.

He also didn't notice that, as the scenery quickly passed by, the bright red "Section Closed" sign had already illuminated, and the "Pass" sign had already fallen. The wheels rolled over the seams of the rails, making a crisp sound.

The crew, who theoretically possessed the highest qualifications and the most stringent requirements, did not apply any braking operations, and the luxurious express sleeping carriage train continued to rush forward.

Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko suddenly felt a little itchy in his throat.

Chapter 694: The 17th Year of the Yunyu Islands/The Great Ominous Event in the Wu Line

(Update)

The pervasive poison gas quickly killed all the railway personnel within its reach. The farthest-reaching incapacitating gas paralyzed both crews of the express passenger sleeper train, forcing them to collapse in the driver's cabin without even a chance to apply the brakes. Before the driver's body slid from his seat and cleared the "death pedal," they were unable to react to the desperate "block" signal sent by the signalman ahead.

That signal means: the lane ahead is occupied/slowing down.

Immediately afterwards, the express sleeper train, which had become more powerful due to the double-unit operation, ran at an excessive speed without anyone operating it, and rushed all the way to Tadami Station, which had already become a dead station.

Here, there is a train waiting for a special train: a freight car pulled by a 8620. Because its driver and fireman have become dead, they are no longer able to make any extra movements after pulling the brakes, so this long freight car failed to fully enter the siding for avoidance, and left a tail on the main line.

These carriages are loaded with heavy NVNC/CNC naval armored steel, and each carriage weighs more than 50 tons.

A violent collision occurred at 5:57 AM on July 17, 1945. The cutting-edge C59 steam locomotive clashed violently with a simple open freight car. The C59's powerful engine, though it rammed the car into a state-of-the-art structure, twisted it into a corner. However, the hundreds of tons of inertia were no match for a lightweight passenger vehicle. The next second, the express passenger car, carrying first- and second-class sleeping cars and an observation car, was in turn struck by the freight train, causing a derailment.

The huge acceleration quickly overturned the train, and the carriage without any load-bearing capacity said goodbye to its bogie loudly and pulled itself off the frame - the complex metal structure was like collapsed building blocks, and was smashed into a ball with a harsh friction sound, like a folded paper fan.

Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, who was coughing and resting in a chair, was thrown onto the partition of the observation car, then flew out of the window and fell to the ground with a thud.

Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko was lucky - after flying out of the train, he did not fall directly onto the hard road, but flew into the bushes beside the road and did not die on the spot; but he was also unfortunate. When the prince, who was knocked unconscious by the fall, finally regained consciousness in the bushes, he immediately saw the blue-gray smoke spreading around him.

And then there was the feeling of suffocation and severe pain in the lungs.

"Ahem! Ahem!!"

The golden hour for rescue, July 17, had passed. When the sun rose on July 18, the emergency response forces, who were supposed to respond immediately, finally took action.

In reality, the fastest-acting official emergency response came from the Japanese Ministry of Railways, which operates the Kure Line. After repeated calls to several stations went unanswered, telephone and telegraph calls were unsuccessful, and the trains lost contact, the dispatching department began to think, "Something must have happened!"

So, on the 17th, they sent a team of personnel to the gradually expanding "lost contact area" for search and rescue, and also dispatched several engineering vehicles to tentatively enter the area where communication was cut off.

However, the railway department was not a professional war agency. They were completely unaware of the Army's poison gas factories, had no education or knowledge about the gas, and had no protective equipment like filter respirators. As a result, the rescue teams dispatched one after another—especially those downwind in Zhonghai—became like "Calabash Brothers saving their grandfather," collapsing one after another along the way. Even the precious rescue engineering vehicles were paralyzed by the poison gas and were paralyzed.

The mobilization and reorganization of the chemical defense forces officially began only after the Central Army Headquarters in Hiroshima completed a series of reporting actions and finally received orders from General Toshihiko Higashikuni, commander of the Mainland Defense Force Headquarters. By this time, it was already the afternoon of July 18th. At this time, the rescue team of the Ministry of Railways had been almost exhausted, and the few who returned had developed respiratory and skin symptoms and urgently needed hospitalization.

Of course, even though the Navy bombarded the Hiroshima Army with calls and even went to headquarters to confront them, the Army's response was always "Nothing has happened, no comment." Then, as the sun rose on the 19th, heavy rain began to fall outside the core disaster area.

The rain extinguished the flames on Ōkunoshima and suppressed the toxic gas surrounding Tadami Town, allowing rescue operations to finally proceed. However, because Japanese officials had not yet issued any evacuation orders, the rain, rich in post-incineration materials and arsenic ash, poured directly onto Takehara, Mihara, Onomichi, Fukuyama, Okayama, and Kagawa Prefecture in the Shikoku region.

Many people directly exposed to the rain suddenly experienced itching, rashes, pain, and ulcers. Even the Army's chemical defense troops, who weren't wearing full protective gear, were affected and had to retreat for treatment. Only now, despite the adverse weather, did the Navy finally dispatch a Zero-type seaplane with a fully enclosed cockpit to investigate. After making inquiries, they finally understood what had happened. What? The Army is operating a poison gas factory in Yunyu Fortress?

Nani, this gas plant exploded?

What? The poison gas cut off my Wu line?

KUSo! Army horse shit!

"Stupid Army horse shit!"

Navy Minister Shigetaro Shimada got out of the car in a rage and rushed to the Prime Minister's Office in two steps: this old guy, who was almost sixty years old, looked so furious that even the adjutant beside him could hardly keep up with him.

Nonsense. The Navy knew that the Army was also secretly developing poison gas like them, but why did you put poison gas next to Hiroshima? And it couldn't be controlled or prevented, and it actually exploded like this? It exploded, so why cut off my railway?

"This time they must give an explanation!"

Shimataro Shimada, a full-fledged political animal, was certainly not driven by the so-called social justice, and was indignant as if he wanted to do something. But after all, the current Prime Minister was from the Army, and the instigator of this incident was that group of horse shit, the Navy's primary enemy.

To this end, Lord Shimada could easily become an impulsive young man, a righteous ally, a messenger of humanity, and cause a terrible calamity for the Army—rumors say over a hundred thousand people will be affected this time! He secretly made up his mind: the Army certainly couldn't handle such a big mess alone, and if they didn't give up some serious benefits, the Navy would never help!

At least there has to be a cabinet change. Someone should be honorably retired!

“Hideki Tojo!”

He strode into the Prime Minister's residence, excitedly calling out the corporal's name, full of energy and sincerity, as if he were wearing a red cloak and underwear, carrying the prayers and justice of thousands of people, shining with golden light. However, the scene before him seemed a little unexpected to the Minister of the Sea.

...Not only did 5000 people suffer, but four members of the imperial family are also missing. This is an unprecedented event in the history of the Empire! We must consult His Majesty!" "Who should we ask? If His Majesty gets angry and blames us for such a serious matter..."

.....[Your Majesty is currently in poor health and can only temporarily reside in Nagano... We respectfully invite the royal family to visit you!"

The owner of the Prime Minister's Office, Hideki Tojo, was sitting at his desk with his head half lowered and his hands folded in his legs, like a college student who got 59 points on the test and was not allowed to retake the exam; Railway Minister Yoshiaki Hatta and Imperial Household Ministry Minister Tsuneo Matsudaira were sitting on the sofa with their arms folded, looking at another Home Affairs Minister, Sanchi Yuzawa, with a serious and slightly angry mood, who was saying something seriously.

More importantly, four guys in lieutenant uniforms had squeezed into the not-so-spacious office, armed with guns, surrounding Tojo! Why was His Highness Prince Toshihiko Higashikuni also there?

Now! Yes, now, immediately! Fuso, Yamashiro, immediately fire up and bring the marines aboard to Tokyo within 24 hours. The fleet will blockade Tokyo port. No sails may be put to sea without permission. Marines, land immediately and defend the Imperial Palace!

"All garrisons in Kanto, Kinki, and Chubu, immediately go on alert!"

Yes! Etajima also mobilizes immediately! The Yokosuka Naval Base's Marine Police? Of course, the Maizuru Naval Base should come, too! Councillor Yonai clutched the receiver tightly, spouting passionately, "The Army is no longer trusted and can no longer shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending the Empire! This is an unprecedented opportunity for the Navy! His Majesty is watching us!"

General Mine! Why are you here? Why are you directly issuing orders and helping the army to quell the situation?

Shimada Shigetaro, who was completely unaware of the details of the private collusion between Mitsumasa Yonai and other royal family members such as Hirohito and Nobuhito, felt a darkening sensation in his eyes and he almost fainted.

Chapter 695: The World in August (Part 1)

(Inventory chapter)

The Eighth Route Army probably could never have imagined that the first actual combat of the "black eye" bomb would lead to such a rich subsequent story.

After the acute phase of what the Army called the "Great Ominous Incident of the Yunyo Islands in 17" and the Navy called the "Great Ominous Incident of the Kure Line in 17," the turmoil in Tokyo, Japan, was like a stage at a celebration, with one performance after another. Emperor Hirohito, the unrivaled heir of the Imperial line, remained in his sheltered residence in Nagano for a full fortnight, even feigning illness to avoid convening the Imperial Council. It couldn't be helped; Hirohito, though not particularly skilled in other areas, was a master of fear.

The Imperial Army was undoubtedly to blame for this incident: their air defenses weren't effective, failing to detect the enemy's heavy bombing raids (the Japanese believed that 50 or more heavy bombers were needed to destroy Ōkunoshima); their secrecy was lost, allowing the enemy to easily discover the poison gas plant; and their subsequent rescue efforts were ineffective, resulting in the deaths of four members of the Imperial family and the extinction of the noble Kitashirakawa clan.

Oh, the death of four members of the imperial family was reported to Hirohito by that "member of the Japanese imperial family", the Peninsular native Lee Wang-eun.

Because the bad news was so unlucky, no one from the 11 noble royal families (some palaces had no one left but the name still existed) was willing to go and announce the death.

At this time, the Korean royal family member was gloriously taken away from Akasaka Prince in the middle of the night.

The house was erected, and he was dressed and stuffed into a luxury car, and then escorted to Nagano Matsushiro by an armored car. This made him think that the Japanese were going to shoot him, and he was so scared that he shouted and cried in the car.

These events, coupled with the army's disastrous defeats in mainland China over the past few years, nearly shattered Hirohito's confidence in the army, which already had a 226-year history of misconduct.* Through several members of the imperial family, he communicated with Yonai Mitsumasa, a military councilor from the navy, and successfully conveyed his ventriloquism: "In this critical moment, Your Majesty hopes that the navy will take the lead and prove itself."

This triggered a massive mobilization of the Japanese naval security forces, the arrival of the Fusoyamajo in Tokyo Bay, and the hilarious "Tokyo Landing Operation" - many Tokyo citizens woke up to find two anti-aircraft guns anchored in the bay.

A large number of marines and armed sailors in naval uniforms appeared on the streets.

Of course, on the surface, the great Emperor Hirohito was as pure and flawless as an immortal in the clouds, and would not interfere with military command in any way.

Soon, on the small archipelago in the east of Asia, as the July calendar was completely torn up and many under-the-table interests were colluded, the shock of the situation in the capital of Tokyo quickly spread to the political arena of Japan.

Private F. Tojo Hideki was forced to resign, unable even to stay in the army, and was forced to retire and return home. Shimada Shigetaro, who had promptly cut ties with him, escaped unscathed and successfully retained his position as Navy Minister in the newly formed cabinet. Meanwhile, the naval officers, having successfully suppressed the army, celebrated and happily shared power in the new cabinet.

However, at the instruction of His Majesty Hirohito, the new Prime Minister was not Mr. Suzuki Kantaro recommended by the Navy, but Kuniaki Koiso, who had just taken office as Governor-General of Korea. This finally ensured that the cabinet with a strong naval color did not completely leave the army with a say.

The army, which was severely punished, took out its anger on how to deal with the subsequent responsible persons.

Prince Toshihiko Higashikuni, in charge of homeland defense, naturally had no issues. However, Lieutenant General Fujii Yoji, commander of the Central Army of the Japanese Army who had directly ordered the Hiroshima garrison to dispatch for rescue, was stripped of his benefits and discharged dishonorably. As for Major Sasaki, captain of the Tadami Military Police, and Lieutenant Colonel Hayashi Kozo, captain of the Kure Military Police, who had directly participated in the rescue efforts in the disaster area, they were both ordered to commit seppuku.

However, Lieutenant General Fujii Yoji could not escape his predetermined fate: his "brave wounds" during disaster relief efforts did not earn him a golden ticket to avoid death. Shortly after returning home, several enthusiastic majors, armed with long samurai swords, short wakizashi, and pistols, visited Fujii and assisted him in his "voluntary suicide."

At this cost, in the external propaganda, Lieutenant General Fujii Yoji was able to die in the form of "sequelae of rescue", and his family could normally enjoy the pension benefits accorded to the relatives of a general who died of illness.

With such a good show, the world of August had a strange "excitement" besides the brutal war. However, compared with the bustling Tokyo, the war in the Pacific seemed a bit dull and bloody. After pushing the so-called "absolute defense circle" to the Northern Mariana Islands, the Japanese Navy's operations began to gradually shift towards the South Pacific battlefield - here

The port of Moresby on the Papua Peninsula has never been conquered, just like a

Like a wooden thorn embedded in the nail of the "Absolute National Defense Circle", people can feel the piercing pain just by thinking about it.

To this end, the United States redefined the theater of operations and established the South Pacific Command, specifically responsible for directing operations in the South Pacific Islands and northern Australia. The US Army employed a "super-industrialized warfare" strategy, massively rebuilding roads and rapidly laying railways across Australia's northern grasslands. Then, like a fungal blanket, they laid out numerous field airfields to accommodate the deployment of numerous Army aviation units.

These troops escorted transport planes capable of depleting the Japanese fighters' ammunition and airdropped supplies to the US-Australian forces fighting in Port Moresby, with the total daily airdrop reaching 5 to 60 tons. Although much of this material fell into the sea or the jungle, it still kept the US-Australian forces afloat. Meanwhile, many US aircraft damaged in battles with Japanese Zeros, Hayabusas, and Jōng-Gōngs landed at Port Moresby Airport, becoming temporary members of the local "Cactus Air Force" and participating in air defense operations.

Furthermore, the US Navy, centered in Townsville, organized a large number of "Sydney Express" transport detachments. They utilized the numerous flat-deck destroyers that had aided Britain in the previous dimension but had not been sent out in this dimension, converted into "MAPA" fast transport boats. These boats, carrying additional troops, supplies, and ammunition, were transported to Port Moray at night, circumventing the Japanese control of the sea in the Solomon Islands, thus forming a vital link for the supply of goods.

This is a very effective strategy, with almost no disadvantages except that it is very expensive.

Successfully withstood the first few waves of the Japanese army's most fierce firepower and dragged the battlefield into the US military

The Navy and Marine Corps both believed that as long as this continued, with domestic production capacity gradually increasing and reinforcements arriving, a crucial counterattack would come sooner or later.

Perhaps the only person who was unhappy about this was MacArthur, who had fled from the Philippines to Papua New Guinea and then from Port Mogadishu to Australia. The naval dominance of the South Pacific Command made it difficult for him to perform, which was very uncomfortable.

To this end, he even cited some information he had read from somewhere at a press conference one day and announced that "almost 100 years ago, China had an army of Catholics who rebelled against the rule of the Qing Dynasty, so the Chinese army is also the Lord's army. If you lend me 50 Chinese troops, I can take back God's land in one fell swoop and rescue the suffering believers."

Fortunately, all the allies, including the United States, thought that this Corn Pipe was just a trickster - a prankster, and no one paid any attention to him.

Everyone knows that the US-Australian coalition forces trapped in the isolated city can only survive by relying on these two blood transfusion channels. The Japanese navy and army also know that as long as they can cut off any one of these two channels, they can successfully remove the last nail of Mo Port.

The Japanese Army dispatched some Type 100 bombers from the mainland and painstakingly organized a bombing operation against Somerset Airfield in North Australia, but this heavy loss operation only reduced the total amount of US airdrop supplies by about 10% in the next week.

The army had to continue to rely on the rugged and difficult Kokoda Island to transport offensive forces to the front line. Fortunately, under the command of the "staff genius" Kuribayashi Tadamichi

The Japanese soldiers of the 17th Army, who were in charge of the attack, lived a life of "eating, marching, watching the clock, washing,

Sleeping is arranged according to the seconds, and firing is done according to the plan. Under extremely precise and scientific arrangements, they gradually advance the front line and prepare for the "general offensive".

The Japanese Navy organized a night combat squadron composed of light cruisers and destroyers to patrol the waters east of the Gulf of Papua at night, hunting down the US transport fleet. Although the Japanese army had an advantage in the battle thanks to its powerful torpedoes and sufficient night combat training, as the US Navy's radar equipment gradually became available, the US fast transport fleet began to actively avoid the Japanese patrol fleet.

They even began to send out troops headed by heavy cruisers to try to hunt down the Japanese.

The army's night combat unit.

After several nighttime "jungle wrestling" battles, the Japanese army still had a tactical advantage, and even had a certain advantage over the US army in terms of casualties. However, the Japanese Navy gradually felt that it was sinking into a difficult quagmire. In response, they said: If the US army increases its pressure, we will increase it too!

Japanese heavy cruisers, also equipped with 8-inch cannons, and the hard-working fast battleships, the Kongo sisters, began to join the fray, intent on searching for the cunning American fleet amidst this sea of ​​aluminum and iron. As for the American fast battleship formations... they seemed to have remained absent. The Imperial Empire was unrivaled in night combat, so let's just ignore them for now!

Chapter 696: The World in August (Part 2)

(Inventory Chapter 2)

The Eastern Front of the World Anti-Fascist War was extremely lively, and the situation on the Western Front was also extremely heated. Several battlefields were "unwilling to be lonely" and were pushing forward their own "major operations."

The North African battlefield located in North Africa may be the "quietest" of these fronts.

Ever since the German-Italian coalition forces achieved their grand victory in the capture of the Tobruk fortress and the Battle of Gazala, the black and red swastika flag and the green, white and red tricolor flag with a shield and crown have been heading eastwards towards the Alamein region.

At that time, Erwin Rommel, the "Desert Fox"*, was full of confidence and boasted that he had already feasted on British fish fillets with beer at Tobruk Fortress, and soon he would hold a candlelight dinner at El Alamein using British fish tofu and pasta.

Italian fellow traveler: ???

However, the outcome of the first El Alamein offensive, launched in July, was less than satisfactory. Although the Italian troops, supporting the Germans, fought bravely and tenaciously, the British, under the command of British Commander Auchinleck, were ultimately unable to withstand the logistically strapped and inadequate German-Italian forces. Even though Mr. Fox repeatedly defeated the British, he was ultimately forced to retreat and regroup after suffering heavy losses, joining the British in a defensive posture, where they began "applying medicine, bandaging, and catching their breath."

But if this continues, the British will definitely recover faster than the German-Italian coalition!

Rommel then attempted to attack the British at Alamein Halfa, but this armored assault, launched with the last bit of fuel, ultimately failed under the British bombardment and did not achieve the desired effect. No, this was absolutely not going to work. If this continued, not only would he not be able to eat British fish tofu at Alamein, he was afraid that the ketchup in his pocket would be used by the British to dip his chips.

Mr. Rommel, deeply worried, began his traditional art - asking the Wehrmacht Army High Command (OKH) for supplies - if expressed in a relaxed tone, the whole process was roughly like this: Rommel: In order to defeat the Commonwealth forces, I need additional tanks and transport vehicles.

OKH: Dear Marshal Rommel, vehicle and tank replenishment has been delivered to Italy, replenishing you with 120 tanks and 1000 trucks.

Rommel: That's good. I need at least 3000 tons of land fuel and 1000 tons of aviation fuel. The British have a great air superiority, but if I have more fuel, I can break through their defenses. OKH: Dear Marshal Rommel, we have mobilized 1500 tons of land fuel and 1200 tons of synthetic fuel for you.

Long: That's great, so where are they now?

OKH: In Italy.

Long: Huh?

OKH: I'm sorry, Your Excellency Marshal, I was not accurate: two-thirds of them are now waiting for shipping in Italian ports; the other one-third has arrived outside the port of Tobruk and is waiting for port scheduling for unloading.

Long: But why didn’t I see the other third?

OKH: Marshal, they should be on the seabed now.

Long: Goodbye.

Therefore, the powerful Mr. Rommel could only hang up the phone in Wolfsburg and go directly to his "boss" "Little Mustache". This "direct access" method really worked. Little Mustache immediately gave the order to jump the queue and allocate a batch of Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks to Rommel, including the relatively new Panzer III J type and Panzer IV G type (the latest inclined Panzer IV H type is still in pre-production), as well as a batch of high and low pressure anti-tank guns carried on miscellaneous chassis. At the same time, Little Mustache promised his beloved general that he would allocate the most advanced heavy tanks to Rommel later, and if sea transportation was still not smooth, he would ask Meyer to use aircraft to supply the North African troops.

P.S.: Dear Erwin, today I heard from respected consultant Hester that you have experienced gastrointestinal discomfort. My doctor suggested that perhaps these new medications can help you recover as soon as possible.

At the end of the telegram, the Wolfsburg boy wrote this. Rommel then glanced at the parcel on the table - it contained several brown medicine bottles filled with some transparent liquid of unknown composition. The three letters "PAK" were cast on the bottle, and "42" was written on the back with a white pen - it looked like a medicine captured from the Russians on the front line.

Rommel looked at the newly printed German instructions and found that the ingredients were completely blacked out. The only words on it were "Treatment of stomach ulcers, mouth ulcers, open wounds, trench foot..." and "3 times a day, 10cc each time." Could the same medicine treat mouth and foot ailments? Could this Russian stuff really work?

"Forget it, as long as I can recover my health, that's fine."

Rommel, who had no idea what the abbreviations stood for, unscrewed the bottle cap and decided to give it a try.

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