Republic of Korea in Yeokcheon - Chapter 41



Only Krnovel

#41. Tenno Heika Banzai!

August 5, 1944, 10 a.m.

On the railroad tracks 35km south of Bongcheon Station (now Shenyang) in Manchuria, a train carrying numerous Japanese soldiers was heading south.

“dismissal! Now the Yalu River is not far away. “We will arrive at Andong Station tomorrow morning.”

“…”

108th Division Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Akira Kohori reported to Division Commander Lieutenant General Hojiro Iwai, but his tightly shut mouth did not open.

It is extremely uncomfortable.

The mouth, which had been closed like that, opened only after about 30 minutes.

“What the hell! “Does it make sense for us, who are reorganizing, to go to Joseon?”

“Isn’t there a situation at the top as well?”

“What are the circumstances! No matter what the circumstances are! “Where on earth is there a law to send troops rather than create troops?”

“…”

Lieutenant Kohori really had nothing to say about this.

No, as the division commander said, there was no law like this in the world.

No matter how urgent it is, it’s only been a month since we started reorganizing the division that was disbanded a few years ago, so how can we send it out for operation?

This was the fault of the Kwantung Army headquarters.

However, he had a duty to appease the anger of the chief of staff and division commander.

“Wouldn’t it have been attributable to the fact that His Excellency the Division Commander was in Joseon just a few months ago? And the situation at our command will be complicated. “With all of the elite troops having been transferred to the southern front, there may not have been enough troops to send to Joseon.”

“But still! “What the hell is this?”

“It’s definitely too much. It would have been nice to have at least a month or two more. By the way, what was the atmosphere like when the commander left? “I can’t believe that trouble has happened in Joseon.”

“Hmm, there were definitely strange signs in the inland part of North Pyongan Province. “But I really didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

Division Commander Hojiro Iwai looked perplexed as he was in charge of the 20th Division, which was under the Joseon Army until early June.

“Is this the work of the evil spirits?”

“That doesn’t make sense. When was the last time an organized armed resistance took place in Joseon? “Our Imperial Japanese Army is in control of Manchuria and China?”

“Then what kind of people are doing this?”

“I know. “I have no choice but to go and see…”

“It’s too late to take the artillery regiment with us.”

“Me too. But what can you do? They’re sending another division, so I have to trust them. “Our imperial army has strong infantry…”

“It’s still a bit clumsy, but I’ll do well.”

“I hope so…”

Both the division commander and the chief of staff knew that the gallant Imperial Army of the past had all gone to the Pacific, but they couldn’t help but think that things would be okay this way.

August 6, 1944, 2 p.m.

108th Division field headquarters behind Andong Station (currently Dandong).

bang!

“Chick show! What on earth is going on? “Does it make sense that there are three divisions, but there is only one artillery regiment?”

“…”

“…”

The face of Hojiro Iwa, commander of the 108th Division, looked literally on the verge of exploding.

The divisions that arrived in Andong a day earlier were the 107th and 117th divisions.

Both divisions are special divisions that were hastily built in May and July of this year.

In particular, the 117th Division was in an absurd situation as it was formed at almost the same time as his 108th Division.

Iwai still tried to understand somehow.

The Kwantung Army headquarters also managed to squeeze out troops it didn’t have.

However, what made Division Commander Iwai astounded was the reality that the three artillery divisions combined were one.

The 107th Artillery Regiment of the 107th Division did not even reach full capacity.

It was inevitable that the 117th Division was a type of security division newly created because the 26th and 62nd Divisions stationed in North China were ordered to be transferred to the Philippines and Okinawa, respectively.

The only strength is eight infantry battalions.

The only better one is the 107th Division, which was established in May of this year, but according to the division commander, Lieutenant General Takeichi Abe, it was only able to fill 70% of its capacity.

This is why Iwai, who served as captain of the 22nd Class of the Korea Military Academy as the best among the three division commanders, could not help but be excited.

If anything went wrong, it would all be his fault.

“Iwai-senpai, there’s nothing you can do, right? You must also understand the command’s position.”

Hiraku Suzuki, the commander of the 117th Division, whom he knew well as a member of the 23rd Army Corps, comforted Iwai.

“That’s right, senior. “But we still have the 107th Artillery Regiment, right?”

Takaichi Abe of the 26th 107th Division also joined in, but Iwai’s expression hardly brightened.

“You people! What is our mission? We have to cross the Yalu River. But are you telling me to send my men out, trusting in a few Type 97 howitzers and Type 94 scatter guns? “And over the railroad bridge?”

“Because the infantry of our imperial army are brave…”

“Pagaya! Lieutenant General Abe! You didn’t even look at advance intelligence! They say that as soon as you approach the railroad bridge, shells fall and machine guns rain down! What kind of Guadalcanal is this? Or is it Saipan? “You’re telling me to order a Banzai charge right now!”

“S-sorry.”

“Huh! “How on earth should I do this?”

A heavy silence fell within the field headquarters.

I can’t find a way at all.

To put it bluntly, what kind of neighborhood stream is the Yalu River?

I had no idea how to cross that wide river.

“Senior Iwai”

“Why but?”

“What Division Commander Abe said is not entirely wrong.”

“What do you mean, it’s not like you?”

“There is no way, no way. Is this Guadalcanal? “In my view, the current situation is no worse than that.”

“what?”

“A disaster occurred throughout Joseon. As you know, this means that the lifeline connecting us with the rest of the world has been cut off. It only takes a day or two to get through Dalian. “If this situation continues, our Kwantung Army will dry up and die.”

“…”

“I probably didn’t do it because I liked the headquarters that sent the division I was organizing. The war situation is getting worse day by day, so you never know when they might attack Ross, right? It would not have been easy to remove the elites in such a situation. “In a situation where all the seeds have already been taken to the south.”

“Whew! so?”

“You probably know the answer too, right? “We have no choice.”

“Damn it!”

“senior!”

“ha! I get it. “Let’s take a day off today and attack tomorrow night.”

August 7, 1944, 4 p.m.

Government General Building Expeditionary Force Headquarters.

“What are they doing now?”

Lee Kang-cheol opened his mouth as if it was absurd while watching the video transmitted in real time.

“Just looking at it, it looks like they’re planning to attack at night?”

“Who asked that because they didn’t know? Aren’t they crazy? Charge into a railroad bridge with no decent cover? “You knew for sure that there was a machine gun emplacement?”

“That’s right. But, they probably can’t help it either.”

“what?”

“Then what should I do? Three divisions were gathered, and the only field artillery was about 30 Type 96 150mm howitzers and a few Type 94 mountain guns for each regiment. They know it too. “This is a reckless assault.”

“But are you going ahead with the assault?”

“I guess that’s how desperate it is. Considering the atmosphere of the Japanese military at that time, there would have been no choice. “My heart aches because I feel like the commander’s agony is being conveyed.”

“I really like you.”

“What?”

“Because you have a lot of sensitivity.”

“…”

“Chief of Staff with great sensitivity!”

“Oh, why?”

“Why, you bastard! “Why a Japanese song?”

“Ugh! “How can you tell such a smarmy joke…”

“It’s noisy, and tell the 2nd Brigade commander to kill it moderately if possible. If this continues, we will hear the sound of human butchers.”

“Yes, I will ask you to surrender if possible.”

“It’s truly an unknown time…”

August 8th at 1:38 am.

Sinuiju 2nd Brigade Situation Room.

“They’re coming in droves. Did they set it for 2 a.m. as expected?”

2nd Brigade Commander Choi Chung-heon opened his mouth while watching the infrared video sent in real time from a drone in the sky.

“Yes, I’m sure. “They are flocking hard while maintaining a prayer secret, right?”

“Tsk tsk! “I didn’t even know that everyone was watching from the sky…”

“That’s right. To be honest, I feel a bit sorry.”

“Crazy guy, is there anything you regret about the war? “The best thing is to win unconditionally.”

“That’s right. What would you like to do?”

“You can’t get any closer, right? The guys in our machine gun position could get hurt by a blind ricochet. Bombardment begins at 01:45! “There are only a few, but I tell you to grab the batteries first!”

“Yes, Brigadier!”

01:45.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

bang! bang! bang! Quang!

“Ugh! “It’s artillery fire!”

“Kwaaaak!”

Artillery fire began to rain down on the heads of the Japanese troops who were cautiously approaching the Yalu River railroad bridge.

That was a huge bombardment.

Quack! bang! bang! bang!

“Keuuk!”

“evil!”

The fire rain from 18 K55A1 three batteries and 18 K9 self-propelled guns, a total of 36 155mm self-propelled guns, and 18 K105A1 wind-wing 105mm self-propelled guns began to tear the Japanese army to pieces.

Quack! bang!

“Aaaah!”

Even at night, Colonel Hideyoshi Sugiura, commander of the 117th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Brigade of the 108th Division, who took the lead, gritted his teeth.

If we continued like this, we would not even be able to see the Yalu River and felt that we would be completely annihilated.

It is approximately 1,500m to the Yalu River Railroad Bridge.

Sugiura, realizing that he had no choice but to charge in, took out his saber and stood up.

“charge! It’s a charge! If we stay here like this, we will all die! Follow me! Tenno Heika Banzai! Banzai!”

“Banzai!”

“Wow wow wow! Banzai!”

“Tenno Heika Banzai!”

As the 117th Regiment began its assault on Banzai, soldiers of the 132nd Regiment of the same 25th Brigade, as well as the 52nd Regiment and 105th Regiment of the 104th Brigade, and the 117th Division, which was also targeting the Yalu River Shin Bridge, stood up and charged while shouting Banzai.

“Tenno Heika Banzai!”

“Charge! Banzai!”

Officers everywhere, who had already realized that there was nothing they could do, took out their sabers and encouraged them.

“It’s Banja! Banzai! “It’s a charge!”

“omg! omg! Banzai…”

A joint assault by the 108th and 117th Divisions, numbering nearly 15,000!

It was a large-scale Banzai assault of which there is no such example even in the history of the imperial army’s Banzai.

However, it was not the Republic of Korea military that would be watching.

bang! bang! bang! bang!

“Kaaaaak!”

“Save me!”

“Aaaah!”

Now, when the 81mm mortar was added, the placenta was torn to pieces and died before it could even charge 500m.

“omg! omg!”

“Rain, damn it! Why is it so far away!”

bang! bang!

“Ugh!”

“Charge! rock···.”

bang!

Sugiura’s body, which was shouting to charge with his sword drawn, was hit directly by a 155mm high explosive bomb and was reduced to dust.

When approaching the railway bridge at 1,000m or 800m, there were about 4,000 troops remaining.

“Turn around! “The railroad bridge is right in front of you!”

“Tenno Heika Banzai!”

“Banzai!”

bang! bang! bang!

500m! 300m!

There are now about 2,000 troops remaining!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Boom boom! Boom! Pop, pop, pop!

As the distance got closer, the 155mm artillery fire stopped and instead the K4 high-velocity grenade launcher and K6 heavy machine gun began to fire.

“Aaaah!”

“Kwaaah! Oka-san!”

In the end, only about 150 people set foot on the Yalu River New Railroad Bridge.

Their bodies, barely able to enter the railroad bridge, exploded.

Boom boom! Boom boom!

After a while.

There was no one shouting Banzai on the banks of the Yalu River.