Iron Cross

Hori Teikichi's words were true. Cole quickly arrived at the scene, exchanging greetings with the leaders of both sides while performing the role of referee. Ishihara Kanji felt annoyed that this guy had interfered at such a sensitive time, but Cole quickly said calmly: "Every time the political situation in your country changes, I seem to be there..." This meaningful expression immediately made Ishihara Kanji speechless.

Tada Shun and Takasu Shiro, who had changed into kendo uniforms, went up to the arena amid the cheers of soldiers from both the army and navy. Although both were in their sixties, they still maintained a strong body and were majestic after picking up the bamboo sword.

"Tada-kun, please!"

"Takasu-kun, please!"

The two bowed to each other and began to compete. The audience cheered. As a compulsory course in the Army Officer School and the Naval Academy, kendo is something that every soldier must learn. It is a rare thing to see superiors, especially generals, practicing kendo in public. Although the two men were old, they were still meticulous in the competition. Ishihara Kanji was much worse in this respect. He was thin and weak when he was young. Although he was several years younger than Tada Shun, if he were to go on stage now, he would only be beaten wildly.

However, although Takasu Shiro was two years younger than Tada Shun, there was a difference between the navy and the army. The army had a solid foundation and the conditions were difficult. Tada Shun was better than him in terms of physical strength and technology. After more than a dozen rounds, Takasu Shiro's swordsmanship was scattered and his strength was insufficient, so he took the initiative to admit defeat.

Tada Shun, who won the game, walked around the field proudly and enjoyed the congratulations of everyone. He felt as if he had returned to the youthful era of the army. The army generals watching the game in the back cheered and said that he had taken the lead. Only Ishihara Kanji was still thinking hard about the real intention of the navy.

"The next challenger of the Navy delegation is Vice Admiral Kusaka Ryunosuke."

After hearing Cole's name, Vice Admiral Kawabe Torashiro, a key figure of the Ishihara faction, suddenly shouted: "Oh no, we've been fooled."

"What's going on?"

"Do you know Kusaka Ryunosuke?"

Ishihara Kanji thought carefully: "I know him, but I'm not familiar with him."

"This guy is the 4th generation head of the Ittoshoden Muto-Ryu swordsmanship. I had a sparring match with him a long time ago. His kendo attainments are unfathomable. Anyway, I can't last more than 4 moves."

"Huh?" Everyone was shocked.

In the blink of an eye, Kusaka Ryunosuke made his move. Before many people could see clearly, he had used a lightning-fast sword to make Tada Shun admit defeat with a smile.

Lieutenant General Wakamatsu Kiichi, Major General Kato Masahiro, and Colonel Inoue Koji successively took the stage to challenge, and all of them were defeated by Kusaka Ryunosuke's Ittosho Kendo. The cheers of the Navy became louder and louder, but the officers and soldiers of the Army were inevitably dejected.

Ishihara Kanji couldn't help but frown. Although winning or losing didn't matter, if the Army Central Committee was defeated by the Navy who came to challenge, it would lose all its face in the future. Tada Shun was also very anxious. It was understandable that the generals, lieutenant generals, and major generals could not beat the vice admirals of the Navy. It was too embarrassing for the colonel to lose - Colonel Inoue was 11 years younger than Kusaka Ryunosuke. He said in a deep voice: "Let Lieutenant Colonel Nakamura go. Didn't he say that he was the second in school? He can't lose again."

Nakamura himself has good kendo attainments, and he is 18 years younger than Kusaka Ryunosuke, which gives him a physical advantage. He took the initiative and attacked quickly. Kusaka Ryunosuke had fought 4 games in a row and was out of strength. He admitted defeat after more than 20 rounds of continuous competition.

Then it was Nakamura's turn to shine. He challenged three levels of navy, including rear admiral, colonel, and lieutenant colonel, and won all of them. In the end, he lost to a navy lieutenant colonel who was just in his early 30s due to physical problems. The sixth army lieutenant colonel won the final victory.

"I declare that the army delegation successfully defended the title and won the final victory! Now, please ask the navy delegation to present the gifts." Cole announced the results with a smile.

"Thank you for your advice. These 10 Sherman tanks will be given to the army." Takasu Shiro, who lost the game in the end, was not depressed at all. Instead, he smiled and left the tanks, and led the navy delegation away in a swagger. There were more than 30 tanks when they came, but only more than 20 when they left.

"American tanks!" The excited army officers and soldiers who won the game immediately rushed over to check. After careful inspection, they finally found that there was no problem. Several anxious staff officers even got in and drove them, and the effect was very satisfactory.

"The tanks are all good, but we lack ammunition - there are no shells or machine gun bullets."

"What the hell is Hori Teikichi doing?" Muto Akira was puzzled, "He found ways to send us tanks? He wants to bribe us with this?"

"That's not the case, is it? Is the attitude of the army only worth 10 tanks? What a joke!" Shimomura said, "No matter what, we will accept the tanks when they come, and we will do whatever else we want."

Only Ishihara Kanji smiled disapprovingly. He had guessed something, but he didn't want to say it now.

The army was at a loss, and the navy was also jubilant when they returned. Takasu Shiro asked Matsuda Chiaki, who had been hiding in the truck, "Did you take pictures of it all?"

"We took pictures! The photographer said it was very clear! The central agencies of the army and navy exchanged kendo in a friendly manner during the "Tenchu ​​****". The main officers of both sides personally participated in the battle. The navy also presented the army with seized American supplies, which strengthened their feelings and deepened their friendship..."

"Hahaha!" Everyone laughed.

"The army is simple-minded and strong-limbed. They only know how to fight and kill. How can they understand the commander's strategy?"

"The palace must be so angry that they will vomit blood, right?"

After the kendo competition ended, another competition also kicked off. Compared with the gentle kendo competition in Nagatacho, the Imperial Guard Division and the Marine Corps fought fiercely around the news agency and the broadcasting agency. As a result, the army lost this time, and it was a miserable defeat.

In order to show off and overwhelm Takeda Gong, the brigade commander Shirakawa only dispatched one infantry regiment and did not require the tank unit to cooperate before launching the attack. As a result, Takeda Gong was completely right. After entering the 3,000-meter combat distance, the recoilless guns set up by the navy in various corners began to show their power. Although the accuracy was average, it forced the two attacking battalions to disperse their forces.

After entering the 2000-meter traditional visual area, the infantry regiment's mortars, grenade launchers, and 92-inch infantry guns finally came into play, but unfortunately they encountered the Tiger tanks that served as the firepower pillar on the defense line, which steadily fired 88mm high-explosive bombs, blowing the Guards Division upside down. The flexible and maneuverable jeeps made the ammunition of the recoilless guns overwhelming, making the infantry attack difficult. If Shirakawa retreated in time or called for tank support at this time, the loss of the troops would still be too great, but he was unwilling to give up. He personally pressed on the front line, forcing the team to crawl forward, continue to advance, and try to outflank from both wings.

The infantry battalion attacking head-on was frantically strafed by 12.7mm heavy machine guns after entering the 1200-meter exchange of fire. The navy concentrated more than 20 machine guns in total, relying on buildings to form crossfire from all dimensions. The frontal and roundabout army infantry were beaten so hard that they could hardly raise their heads, and the number of casualties rose sharply.

At this time, the situation was already very ugly, but if they retreated in time, the casualties could still be controlled within one squadron (200 people). However, the greedy Shirakawa actually ordered the frontline officers and soldiers to advance in the rain of bullets and launched the traditional Banzai charge at about 400 meters, hoping to overwhelm the Marines in one go. As a result, a terrible situation appeared. At the charge distance of 200-300 meters, these poor soldiers could only fire a few bursts with the Type 99 rifle, and what greeted them was the dense firepower of the MG42 and STG43 that made their scalps numb and made "chi chi" sounds. The Marines' counterattack swept through the attacking team like a storm. In less than half a minute, more than one squadron of the charge was completely written off, and the remaining troops who detoured from the side could not gain any advantage and were forced to retreat in dismay.

"Baga Baga!" Poor Shirakawa was beaten by dozens of slaps from Tanaka Shinichi after retreating. The calculated losses made the staff officers watching the battle in the rear gasp: less than 40 minutes of fighting time, more than 500 people were lost, which was equivalent to half a battalion being destroyed, and the periphery was a river of blood. Although the navy must have suffered casualties, the staff officers knew very well that it was a problem whether the navy's losses could exceed 100 (actual casualties were 59). If the battle continued like this, it would not be a fantasy for a regiment to be completely wiped out.

Originally, everyone disdained Takeda Gong's "cowardice", but after experiencing it personally, no one dared to say that he was "making false threats". They only said that he was far-sighted and insightful of the enemy. The two tank regiment commanders then realized how wise the superior's decision was.

At the military meeting held again, Tanaka Shinichi apologized to Takeda Gong in public and asked him why he had such foresight?

Takeda Gong sighed: "I have seen it in India. The German Marine Corps fought like this. The equipment and logistics of Shibasaki Keiji's Marine Brigade are now better than those of the German army. Otherwise, why would General Hori dare to use a mere brigade to fight against the rebellion in Tokyo?"

Tanaka Shinichi frowned and said: "I don't care whether we fight against the rebellion or not, but how can we open a gap?"

"It can't be opened unless planes and heavy artillery are deployed, firepower is fully suppressed, and nearby buildings are reduced to ruins. Otherwise, it is impossible."

But the latter is even more impossible. The afternoon's exchange of fire has scared Tokyo residents to flee. Although there are few casualties in the exchange of fire due to the early clearing, panic has spread. If the war is fought according to Takeda Gong's idea, Tokyo City must be reduced to ruins - no one can afford the firing of the four heavy cruisers in Tokyo Bay.

"So," Takeda Gong suggested, "We can't fight anymore. We should monitor each other, confront each other, and wait for a high-level political solution."

Except for Shirakawa's indignation, the rest of the people agreed. Tanaka Shinichi sighed and did not comment, but at least he did not order a further attack.

The fierce exchange of fire caused close contact between the palace and the army center. As soon as the battle stopped, a telegram was sent to inquire about the results. Tanaka Shinichi did not dare to hide the situation and reported the situation in detail. He believed that it was impossible to fight at all with his hands tied at the moment, and suggested a political solution. If a war really wanted to happen, the entire city of Tokyo would be evacuated, and "at all costs", bombing and heavy artillery would be used together.

In fact, this was just a lot of empty talk. Under Takeda Gong's persuasion, he had tried his best to appease the citizens not to flee, and even reached a tacit agreement with the navy not to exchange fire.