Chapter 453: How Tragic
My Führer:
I have been in Japan for many years now. As the German military attaché to the embassy in Japan and as an observer of Japanese military strength, this is the tenth observation report I have submitted to our country. Just a few days ago, the Japanese military deliberately invited me to observe their battle in the Nomonhan region. The outcome of this battle, however, was a Japanese defeat.
I must say that, based on my observations, Japan lacks the preparation to counter the Soviet Union’s heavy weapons. Like the French, they use various small-caliber weapons to deal with Soviet tanks and armored vehicles weighing over 20 tons, and they have paid a heavy price for it.
I personally witnessed the Japanese army being forced to organize soldiers to charge with satchel charges on their backs, attempting to perish together with the Soviet tanks or armored vehicles. The effectiveness of this tactic is highly questionable, because after losing about 300 men, the Japanese army only managed to barely halt the Soviet tank attack. I even feel that the Soviets only stopped advancing because they themselves were tired.
The Japanese artillery, in both caliber and power, is inferior to the artillery deployed by the Soviets in the Far East. The gap between the two is enormous. I once witnessed the Soviet artillery’s counter-barrage from the command post, and it is truly unbelievable that the Soviet side can still maintain such terrifying combat effectiveness after the Great Purge.
Shells rained down on the Japanese army’s positions, covering their main troop concentrations and inflicting hundreds of casualties. The Japanese commander beside me even begged his own artillery not to return fire, to avoid provoking a larger-scale artillery retaliation.
On another note, the overall quality of Japan’s Type 89 medium tank is slightly lower than that of the French B1 tank, and its main performance is even a generation behind the B1. This tank’s armor is less than half as thick as the B1’s, and its 57mm cannon is primarily for infantry support, not for engaging enemy tanks.
In general, this Japanese tank is closer to our country’s assault guns than to a true tank. Its combat role is to support the infantry, but it is more expensive to produce than our StuG III and has weaker anti-tank and fire support capabilities. I really don’t know why this tank is still in production. Perhaps one reason is that it is indeed capable of performing its combat tasks on the Chinese battlefield.
However, I have learned that the Japanese Navy is competing with the Japanese Army for the allocation of steel. As an island nation, Japan, like Britain, places more emphasis on the development of its navy. Therefore, in this internal struggle for the use of steel production, the Japanese Navy ultimately won, and the development of the Army’s weapons and equipment was thus curbed.
The Japanese army rarely equips submachine guns, and the use of machine guns is also quite restricted. The Japanese train their infantry to prioritize marksmanship, which is mainly due to the Army’s emphasis on conserving ammunition. That is why the armor of the Japanese Army’s tanks is generally thin, and their weight is pitifully low. This is because the development of the Army has always been short of steel.
The Japanese army’s defeat at Nomonhan is regrettable, but they do have their merits. The Japanese soldiers, brainwashed by the unique spirit of Bushido, do not fear death. They prefer to believe that their deaths can bring victory to their emperor. Of course, the facts have proven that their deaths possess no unique magic, and Japan did not achieve victory in the Nomonhan region.
However, the Japanese army’s fearless fighting style is very shocking. It is hard to imagine what arduous tasks this force could carry out if it were to learn advanced tactics. They have generally undergone very precise marksmanship training and emphasize bayonet charges and assault tactics. To be honest, by the standards of the early days of World War I, this is a very combat-effective force.
Of course, when faced with an offensive or defensive system composed of tanks, artillery, and machine guns, the Japanese army’s combat methods are clearly outdated. The result of their repeated heroic charges with rigid and backward tactics is that, apart from the high casualty figures, there is nothing worth boasting about.
The performance of the Japanese air arm was also very disappointing. They competed with the Soviet fighter forces for air superiority and, in the initial stages of the war, listened to the valuable advice of our German air force observers and launched a surprise attack on the Soviet frontline airfields. However, after this one successful operation, their performance could only be described as foolish.
They did not take advantage of their air superiority, did not launch a large number of aircraft to support ground operations. Their air strikes were limited to sending out bombers for a perfunctory bombing of a certain area, unlike our German air force, which repeatedly sends out small numbers of aircraft to provide continuous suppressive fire for the frontline troops.
The direct consequence of this was that, apart from the loss of some artillery in a few bombings, the Soviet artillery, despite having lost air superiority, was in most cases able to operate without any pressure, which also directly led to the failure of the Japanese artillery.
It is worth mentioning that Japan has achieved a series of victories in mainland China. The Chinese army on the main front seems to be conducting an organized retreat, giving up some undeveloped but vast areas. This has further worsened the situation in the Far East, and more people in Japan are now supporting continued expansion. Originally, due to the setbacks in their offensive in China, some people within Japan had begun to feel that they should stop the attack and seek peace with China. But now it seems that this voice has become very weak, and the possibility of Japan continuing to expand the war is very high.
We all know now that it is unlikely for Japan to strike north. Therefore, the Japanese Navy’s “Strike South” policy is worthy of our attention. This operational plan covers the entire Southeast Asia region and will clearly conflict with the interests of the United States, Britain, and even our Germany. I ask you, my Führer, to make preparations in distant Berlin.
In the distant East, I am thinking of my great fatherland at every moment. May God bless you, my Führer, bless you with continued health, and I wish you all the best and a speedy victory in the Reich’s war against Britain.
— Hadley von Bollert, First-Class Military Attaché, Consulate of the Holy Greater German Third Reich in Japan.
Akado finished reading the telegram, placed the document on his desk, and looked at Brauchitsch and August.
“Did the Japanese really use bayonets to charge Soviet tanks at Nomonhan?” Brauchitsch was clearly skeptical of the final result of the battle. “Japan’s combat effectiveness during the Russo-Japanese War was not to be underestimated… How could they be so inept now?”
“If you knew that Japan is currently building its fifth aircraft carrier, you would know that they are not as weak as you imagine,” Akado said, glancing at the stack of analyses on the combat capability of the Japanese Navy in the upper right corner of his desk. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Land warfare is not Japan’s strong suit.”
“So Japan will strike south next?” August asked with a frown.
“They have already begun to strike south,” Akado said with a wry smile, pointing to the intelligence on his desk. “Two Japanese corps have already entered Burma and are engaged in fierce fighting with the British forces under General Mountbatten. Just this morning, we received confirmed news that the British forces in Hong Kong have been forced to surrender.”
“So you’re saying?” August raised an eyebrow.
“That’s right. It’s only a matter of time before Japan and the United States go to war. Although both countries are still shouting about U.S.-Japan peace, anyone who isn’t an idiot knows that the war will break out completely within a year,” Akado said with a nod. “Our honeymoon period with Japan is over. After the Battle of Nomonhan, Japan will no longer have any influence on our subsequent strategy. From now on, any requests from the Japanese side will be met with delaying tactics as the core response.”
“My Führer, may I be so bold as to ask a question?” Brauchitsch said after a moment’s thought. “In your choice of allies, you seem to have never had a favorable impression of Japan. You know, Japan’s current steel production is 100 times that of China’s. If we were to choose a stronger ally, we should be on Japan’s side.”
Akado was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. “China alone against Japan, it can be said, has no chance of winning. After all, China’s current industrial base is too backward. But what if you add the United States to the equation?”
August also stood up and patted the shoulder of the stunned Brauchitsch, who didn’t know how to respond. “This is why you are only a Field Marshal, and the Führer is always the Führer… In the Führer’s eyes, Japan has always been a bargaining chip against America, not an ally. As for China… that is the fatal blow we will use to stab America in the back.”
“Then this telegram… how should I reply?” Brauchitsch asked, knowing that he couldn’t see through the twists and turns of these politicians, so he simply didn’t pursue it further.
“This Lieutenant Colonel has completed his mission well. Promote him when there is an opportunity,” Akado said with a smile, glancing at the telegram again. “Now that the situation in the Far East has attracted the Soviets’ attention, it can at least delay the war for a few more months. With these few months, we can patiently wait for the outcome of the war on the British mainland.”
Winston Churchill, that familiar name. Akado looked at the name written in cursive on the paper, feeling a surge of emotion. Goebbels, Göring, Hitler, and now, I suppose, Churchill will be added to the list. Another familiar person is about to leave the stage of history. Who will be next?
He thought of the distant London, that place of incessant cannon fire, of that deep underground Prime Minister’s office, of Churchill sitting in a dark corner. Akado’s lips curled into a smile. The scene he imagined was so familiar. In another timeline, Hitler’s final moments must have been just like this, right? A dark basement, poison and a pistol, waiting in despair for his final end.
How truly tragic.
Published: 2025-08-26T05:07:40.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2025-11-14T10:57:48.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c453-how-137361488
Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com