binnovel Chapter 403 Raise High, Drop Gently
Chapter 403 Raise High, Drop Gently
"Colonel Katagiri Mamoru, commander of the 9th Regiment, I want to ask you, what is the order I gave to your 9th Regiment? Where is your defensive position? Why are you here at the division headquarters with your troops now?" Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, commander of the 16th Division, yelled angrily at Colonel Katagiri Mamoru, commander of the 9th Regiment.
"Sir, the order you gave to the 9th Regiment before was to hold the defensive position until tomorrow morning, and then wait for the order from the division headquarters to begin retreating toward the vicinity of the division headquarters." The commander of the 9th Regiment, Colonel Katagiri Morio, lowered his head respectfully and answered one of the questions asked by the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, affirmatively.
When the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, heard the evasive answer from Colonel Katagiri Morio, he became even more angry, so he snorted and asked, "Colonel Katagiri Morio, since you still remember what the combat order I issued was, how do you explain your current behavior?"
"Your Excellency the Division Commander, all the officers and soldiers of our 9th Regiment have been fighting to the death with the Chinese army on the defensive positions in accordance with your orders. However, the number of Chinese troops is too large. Our 9th Regiment suffered heavy casualties. There are only 600 people in the entire regiment including the lightly wounded. We could not withstand the fierce attack of the Chinese army that is dozens of times our number. We were defeated from our positions by the Chinese army. It is my poor command of the battle. Please punish me, Your Excellency the Division Commander." The commander of the 9th Regiment, Colonel Katagiri Morio, said sincerely to the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, and the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, and the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, now understood. "The commander of the 9th Regiment, Colonel Katagiri Morio, had already thought of a countermeasure. He said that disobeying military orders was ineffective combat. His ability to replace one thing with another is not to be underestimated.
But how could the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, let the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, get away with it so easily? This was a naked contempt for his authority. If he allowed the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, to get away with it so easily, how would he let others execute his military orders in the future? Wouldn't others just treat his orders as fart?
"Colonel Katagiri Morio, why didn't you fight to the death with the Chinese army on the position? Wasn't my order very clear? You are cowardly and a serious violation of battlefield discipline. Chief of Staff Nakazawa, Colonel Katagiri Morio's behavior has seriously violated military orders. I have decided to remove Colonel Katagiri Morio from his post as regiment commander and hand him over to a military court for trial after the war." The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, issued the decision to punish Colonel Katagiri Morio with a cold face.
Originally, the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, wanted to drag Colonel Katagiri Morio out and shoot him directly, but he considered that the morale of the troops was already low enough. If a regiment commander was shot, the officers and soldiers in the army would definitely spread the matter wildly, which would be detrimental to the subsequent defensive operations.
"Your Excellency the Division Commander, it is indeed my primary responsibility for the ineffective combat this time, but this forced transfer was also a choice that our 9th Regiment had no choice but to make. It was not a violation of your military orders, and this was also the decision made by all commanders of the 9th Regiment." Colonel Katagiri Morioh felt much more at ease after hearing the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke's decision to punish him.
As long as he is not dragged out and shot directly, there will be nothing to worry about. As for the military court trial after the war, he has to survive first. Besides, he can tell the military court about everything the division commander has done. In this case, if he is to be tried, the division commander must be dragged in for trial together. Given the headquarters' nature of not airing their dirty laundry in public, they will definitely try to smooth things over and transfer him to other divisions.
However, the regiment commander, Colonel Mamoru Katagiri, also expressed his views tactfully, that is, all the officers of the 9th Regiment were standing behind him, and these officers would testify for him in the future to prove that he did not disobey military orders, but that the order he issued did not conform to the actual situation, which led to ineffective combat.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, was so angry. It was obvious that the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, was planning to break off relations with him. He even dared to use all the officers and soldiers of the 9th Regiment to threaten him. This was the tradition of the Imperial Japanese Army: the inferiors rebelling against their superiors.
When the Chief of Staff Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo heard what the Regiment Commander Colonel Katagiri Morio said, he was moved, and then he said respectfully to the frosty-faced Division Commander Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke: "Your Excellency the Division Commander, it seems that Colonel Katagiri Morio also has practical difficulties. The 9th Regiment has done a very good job in resisting the attack of the Chinese army with dozens of times its strength with its weak forces. Moreover, this incident happened when the troops suffered heavy casualties, which is excusable. I think it would be better to let Colonel Katagiri Morio make up for his crime and continue to lead the officers and soldiers of the 9th Regiment to do a good job in the defense of the division headquarters, which can also be regarded as making up for the mistakes made before."
The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, and the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, looked at the division chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, almost at the same time. They were both very surprised at what the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, said.
The meaning of the Chief of Staff, Major General Sanzo Nakazawa, was very clear. He described the serious problem of the regiment commander, Colonel Morio Katagiri, disobeying military orders as a last resort, and even the claim of the regiment commander, Colonel Morio Katagiri, that he was incompetent was not taken into account.
At the same time, even the position of the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, did not change at all, and he received almost no punishment. He was simply brushed off with the phrase "making up for his crime by making amends".
After being reminded by the Chief of Staff, Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa, the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, immediately calmed down from his anger. Yes, the Chief of Staff, Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa, was right in reminding him. It is indeed impossible to punish the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, now. The 9th Regiment still has 600 people, and they are all important forces for future battles.
"Since the Chief of Staff has pleaded for you, Colonel Katagiri Morio, you should do as Chief of Staff Nakazawa said and lead the officers and soldiers of the 9th Regiment to fight bravely in the subsequent battles and make up for your crime with merit." After the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, figured it out, he also spoke lightly to the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Mamoru Katagiri, was also very happy. Now all his worries and post-war problems were gone. It was beyond all his previous expectations.
Before the commander of the regiment, Colonel Katagiri Morio, could express his gratitude, the staff officer of the division headquarters walked up to the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, and said, "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, we have lost contact with the 20th Regiment for nearly 30 minutes. The signalman we sent out encountered shooting from the Chinese army on the way and failed to reach the 20th Regiment."
After hearing the words of the staff officer, the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, and the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuyoshi, looked at the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, almost at the same time.
(Thanks to 1980后1981, user, Duke Wei who loves beef jerky, who only eats dumplings without vinegar, the director of Shenlong Library, Wuwenxidong11, and Xiaoju who likes terror birds for their gifts! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!)