Iron Cross

By the evening of December 30th, Genda Minoru finally understood what it meant to be a good actor. In terms of his ability as an actor, he was considered outstanding in the navy, but it was far from enough to be considered high-level. At best, he was just a good actor. The Emperor He is the actor.

That night, Hirohito issued an edict announcing the completion of the rebellion, and then led many senior officials to the cinema to watch the documentary film "Combined Fleet Commander". When they saw the footage of Tarawa's numerous corpses, he led the audience to stand up and bow, "...weeping... I couldn't stop crying and almost fainted." Finally, with tears in his eyes, he spoke to the crowd: "...I have been deceived by this thief for nearly 20 years. I did not know the suffering of the people, the casualties of officers and soldiers, and the loyalty of my subjects. It was all my fault... Fortunately, the ancestors have a spirit, and Admiral Hori holds up the sky with one hand. The two commanders-in-chief of the combined fleet and the loyal officers and men continue to fight hard, destroying the enemies at home and defeating the stubborn enemies, refreshing the sea, and carrying forward the spirit of eight banners and one universe..." Not only with his own hands, When writing the title for the movie, he also suggested adding a revolt plot to fully demonstrate the achievements of the United Fleet, and make it a compulsory course for primary and secondary school students across the country. It must be watched before the start of school every year, "to inspire the imperial power and pass it on from generation to generation!".

On the one hand, Horikichi expressed regret on behalf of the Navy for frightening His Majesty during the process of revolt. On the other hand, he said that he was "old and frail, exhausted from hard work, and begging for his bones to return home." After repeated attempts by everyone to stay, he decided to reluctantly continue to serve the country.

On December 31, the Navy held a grand military parade. Hundreds of thousands of Tokyo residents who did not know the truth lined the streets to welcome them. They were excited about the illustrious martial arts of the combined fleet and the rise and fall of the Japanese clique. The sound of "onboard" could not be heard. This time Horikichi and Hirohito were still riding in the same car. Not only did they review the army and naval brigade present, they also boarded the Yamato to review the fleet lineup. The loot left in the cargo ship filed out in a long queue, forming a long queue of more than 10 kilometers connected end to end, stimulating everyone's excitement.

Subsequently, the two giant warships Yamato and Musashi performed a formation, and three aircraft carriers were dispatched to perform ultra-low-altitude stunts for the citizens of Tokyo:

More than 80 aircraft lined up in a neat formation (without bombs) and flew just over 120 meters above the sea. Looking from a distance, they seemed to be floating on the sea. They came overwhelmingly. They pulled up at the same time near the sea and soared into the sky, winning the victory. The audience cheered. Then, under the attention of hundreds of thousands of people, outstanding pilots including Akamatsu Sadaki, Sakai Saburo and other outstanding pilots performed a synchronized "cleaning trio" of nine aircraft. The audience was dumbfounded and their glasses fell all over the floor. Finally, the Tianshan modified aircraft fell sharply from the belly. Banner to wish the coming of the new year Showa 19.

As usual, the military parade was followed by the finishing work and awarding of awards. Cole originally thought that Japan would be in chaos for a few days before returning to normal. Unexpectedly, he soon received a notice to hold a communication meeting between the base camp and the allies at 10 a.m. on January 3.

"What? Your country has changed its prime minister again?" As soon as he arrived at the venue, he heard a surprising news.

"Yes, you have a great contribution." Ishihara smiled secretly, "You are a master at overthrowing the government."

"Don't talk nonsense. I was not involved in the whole incident from beginning to end. Except for being temporarily pulled in as a referee that day, I spent the rest of the time hiding in the hotel shivering and living in danger..." Cole angrily yelled, "You still swore to give me I happily sent a list of advisory groups to Berlin, and the head of state happily agreed, and the numbers were approved. Now you are going back on your word, how can I explain to the head of state that my major general is in trouble..."

"Kole-kun, Ishihara-kun is right. You really change the prime minister every time you come here. What's going on? This truth is not clear, and it will be difficult for the two families to cooperate in the future."

"Coincidence, coincidence, this is a complete coincidence." Cole countered, "Otherwise, Chief Ishihara's position would always be promoted every time after the cabinet was overthrown, and he would be one of the biggest beneficiaries. I can say that this is General Ishihara. Is it caused by this?”

"Yes, yes. His Highness just said two days ago that Ishihara-kun can be promoted to general. Why is he not being promoted?" A bunch of people around him booed.

"You are so sharp-tongued, but I can't beat you." Ishihara smiled bitterly, "Besides, I'm not the only one who was promoted. Didn't Yamamoto-kun also become a marshal-admiral?"

"... We fought well in the war, but we are not as good as General Hori's movie. The two commanders of the United Fleet, relaying firepower, constantly climbing to the top, and using victory to compose the friendship between classmates." Shimomura Sada yelled, "No, the Army also wants to film Movie."

Tada Shun immediately said: "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you."

Shimomura Sada's face suddenly elated: "How can I do this?"

Everyone laughed again.

Cole thought: How can we tell the truth? When the mutiny was at its most tense, three submarines were lurking outside Tokyo Bay. The embassy was fully prepared, and even the Marine Brigade in the direction of Ceylon was also ready to respond. However, they were of no use in the end. For Horitiyoshi In addition to admiration and exclamation for his overwhelming courage and strength, he only had deep admiration for Hoffman - "When you go to Japan, the most important thing is to capture General Hori. As long as he is there, everything will be fine." Easy to say.”

"Your Highness is here."

"Come, come, come, let's welcome the new Prime Minister together." Everyone bowed to King Higashino Higashino and said, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, is victorious!"

"Hey, hey, you! Can we communicate happily in the future like this?" King Higashino Higashikata's face was red and he was very happy. He glanced at everyone present and asked, "Where's Hori-kun?" "

"He's been drinking every day these days, maybe he's still hungover?"

"Who is orchestrating me behind the scenes? Didn't I come?" Horikichi walked into the venue with a smile, "Sorry, I'm late."

"Where, where, Privy Councilor Hori and Marquis Hori are here just in time. Please take a seat. Please take a seat."

"You're asking for a beating!"

On January 2, 1944, because the former Prime Minister Ugaki Kazushige was jumping up and down in the rebellion incident, trying to fish in troubled waters, although he did not participate in any substantial part, the impact was very bad. Both the army and the navy believed that he was not honest enough and decided to replace him. Even Koiso Kuniaki I also think he worries too much and needs to rest. Ugaki Kazunari was forced to submit his resignation and reluctantly left the throne of Prime Minister. With the unanimous recommendation of all parties, the appointment of Prime Minister fell to King Higashikaru Palace Minuhiko.

Speaking of which, when he was studying in France, an old fortune teller said that he would definitely become the Prime Minister of Japan in the future. He said that he is not only a member of the royal family, but also an army soldier. As a rule in Japan, these two types of people cannot serve as prime minister. The old lady said that there would be a revolution or some kind of major event in Japan in the future, making him the prime minister. Today it seems that this prediction is really amazing. Hirohito was very satisfied with the candidate and approved it immediately.

Subsequently, major changes occurred in the personnel of the base camp. The royal military order obviously reached a dead end, and the top brass of the army and navy reshuffled:

Horikichi, who has the most merit, the highest reputation, and the strongest strength, was previously canonized as a marquis and served as the Privy Councilor of the Navy. He was in charge of all naval affairs, and was also the chief of the military command department and the commander-in-chief of the combined fleet. Since the establishment of the navy in Satsuma, there has been no greater centralization of power. this;

Kanji Ishihara advocated land and sea coordination and insisted on withdrawing troops from mainland China in the past year, which improved the situation of the army a lot. He was supported by powerful people from all over the country and was promoted to army general and succeeded the chief of staff; Ishihara sent general Toshiro Kawabe Then he took over the post of deputy chief of staff. In return for Shun Tada's help, Ishihara Kanji gave up the commander of the military police to the Tada faction. Now the army center is solidly united, and the Ishihara Kanji + Tada Shun alliance is unbreakable.

This is still reasonable. The most unexpected appointment is that Takeda Takeda, who is only 46 years old, is promoted to Army Lieutenant General and serves as the commander of the Guards Division. According to his age and qualifications, it is appropriate to serve as a major general. Almost all his Lu Shi classmates have obtained such a military rank. However, unless a general of this age has royal status, there is basically no precedent for him. Being appointed as the commander of the Guards Division is even more Horrifying. Generally speaking, Lieutenant Generals who are promoted out of the norm like Takeda Gong can only get transitional positions in the Army Ministry or the General Staff Headquarters, and will not suddenly become the commander of the Guards Division. Conventionally, this is a position that can only be held by senior Lieutenant Generals. position.

But Hirohito believed that Takeda had done a good job in attacking the enemy, and his loyalty was particularly rare! What's more important is that he has a clear mind, has both military exploits and the ability to command mechanized troops, and his wrists are also flexible. He is a good talent. Prince Higashikata Minuhiko, Ishihara Kanji, and even the Navy were optimistic about him. Even Tanaka Shinichi, who was already in the reserve force, strongly recommended him. For a time, he was quite popular among the public. So Takeda Gong was stunned by the pie falling from the sky. Not only was he promoted twice within a year, but he also took up important positions, making him very popular in both the government and the public.

Everyone believes that in less than 10 years, or maybe even in 5-6 years, Takeda Gong will have the opportunity to become the Minister of War or the Chief of Staff. A lot of people are eager to get the second generation to become his student. This posture made him, who had always been fearless, panic. He used the pretext of reorganizing the army and went into hiding. He refused to participate in any social activities. Even if he barely showed up, he drank two drinks and ran away. He was no longer sociable and well-traveled like before. The image is quite different. In the eyes of senior officials, he is even more praised: he is a stable person and can be of great use!

"Today's meeting focuses on discussing the next stage of military strategy and Japan-Germany cooperation, so Special Envoy Cole is invited to participate." Higashino Miyazaki, who presided over the meeting, said, "First of all, I would like to ask Special Envoy Cole to talk about the German side's ideas and hopes."

"What we value most is the Combined Fleet's Western Expedition. As for cooperation in armaments, technology, resources, intelligence, economy, talent and other aspects, I think the current implementation is good and can continue to deepen and expand the scope." Cole said, "The Western Expedition I would like to hear General Hori’s opinion first.”

Everyone's eyes were focused on Horikichi...