Chapter 60 worries of high-ranking figures

After the successful attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese army successively occupied or controlled Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific through crazy attacks, so that the islands and seas west of Midway Island all became Japan's "inland" and "territorial sea". The speed in Japan is too fast, so fast that it is like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit and not knowing what it tastes like, the fruit fell down with a gurgling sound.Emperor Hirohito trembled on the issue of declaring war on the United States before, and he dared not make a decision. At this time, he was also very happy. He couldn't help saying to Minister Kidouchi: "You follow me to the ancestral temple. .”

Hirohito also asked Prime Minister Tojo Hideki to "let go of the jihad" without any scruples. Tojo got carried away and really thought that he had become an international giant comparable to Roosevelt and Churchill.He did not imitate Hitler all day long, and sat in a convertible car to inspect various places triumphantly, or held banquets in the prime minister's official residence, and imagined the establishment of the so-called "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" with foreign guests. From top to bottom, the whole country of Japan was jubilant, and the navy and army were so happy that they were almost floating, and they were all trapped in a dream and couldn't extricate themselves.Among the generals, there is only one person who is still vigilant, and this person is Yamamoto.

At this time, Yamamoto's reputation in Japan had reached the peak of his personal military career. He was called the "Japanese God of War", and his combined fleet was the "Invincible Fleet". question. The reality is that fighting the United States will become increasingly difficult.Yamamoto was stunned for a long time by a document of the U.S. military, which was the statistics on the loss of the Pearl Harbor incident. It was different from the report originally released by the U.S. government, which was mixed with water to stabilize people’s hearts. Add any moisture.

Such a heavy loss, and the courage to tell the truth, what a terrible opponent this is.Yamamoto punched the desk hard and shouted, "Amazing!" Yamamoto was not particularly proud of the success of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He thought it was not fair enough and violated samurai morality.It is said that he was troubled by this until his death. Risking his reputation to do such a thing against his will, Yamamoto has only one purpose, which is to narrow the disparity in the strength of the two sides at the beginning of the war against the United States.In the end, this goal was not fully achieved, and the three aircraft carriers miraculously escaped. With these three aircraft carriers, the Pacific Fleet may be able to survive.

What will happen to the Pacific Fleet after it comes alive? It will definitely fight back.Yamamoto, who has experience in European and American inspections, knows Americans very well. They look carefree, but they are extremely brave and aggressive in their bones. If you can't kill them with one blow, then they will definitely turn back before you come to the second blow. Come over. What's more, Yamamoto is well aware of the strong industrial capabilities of the United States. It is a country that can manufacture any electrical appliances it wants today. There is energy. On the contrary, Japan does not have such conditions. If the war continues, the combined fleet is likely to become weaker and weaker.

Yamamoto discussed the power comparison between the two sides in this way: "Britain and the United States may have underestimated Japan, but from their point of view, it is as if they were bitten by their own hands by their own dogs." Great fortune is great, opportunity is deep and misfortune is deep.Although Japan took advantage of it by playing tricks at the beginning of the war, if the war lasts, Japan is doomed to be unable to win, and disaster will not be far away by then.Long before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yamamoto saw this. He once said: "If I were to wage a reckless war, I could run amok in the first half a year or a year, but the second year and In the third year of the war, I have no confidence at all."

Deep down in Yamamoto's heart, he did not want to continue the war with the United States. It would be great if he could use the early victory in the Pacific War to force the United States to negotiate peace. But is it possible?Totally impossible.The general character of the Japanese is that when he is in power, he will never think of bowing or bending over.The emperor said that he would "let go of the jihad." Under such circumstances, do you think Tojo is willing to stop, or are other high-ranking officials willing to soften? In the eyes of high-level officials in Tokyo, no one is willing to negotiate with the United States except Yamamoto—whatever the talk, just fight.

The ability and insight of the senior officials made Yamamoto very worried, and he felt that these people spoke "as if the outcome of the war had already been decided." Far from being over, the war has just begun.Just like before the war with the United States, after realizing that the idea of ​​"harmony" had failed, Yamamoto immediately turned to "war", and his thinking was more careful and comprehensive than ordinary people. When commanding operations in the far southwestern Pacific Ocean, Yamamoto would often sigh while looking at Tokyo from the ship.Seeing him depressed, the staff asked him if he was not feeling well.

Yamamoto answered irrelevantly and said to himself: "Are the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park blooming? I really want to go to enjoy the cherry blossoms. People who have been on the sea for a long time have a special feeling for the land, let alone such beautiful cherry blossoms. What a pity." .” Ueno Park is the largest park in Tokyo, Japan. Lu Xun once described it in his famous prose: "When the cherry blossoms in Ueno are blooming, they look like crimson light clouds..." The cherry blossoms like "the crimson light clouds" have obviously aroused Yamamoto's homesickness.He couldn't help but read a poem about cherry blossoms: "Thousands of miles of white clouds rise, and the beauty and fragrance are blown by the wind." After reading, reading, even the corners of this prominent man's eyes became moist.

Those who don't understand Yamamoto's heart think that he is just homesick, and those who understand him will know that he is still worried. After the Pearl Harbor incident, what Yamamoto was most worried about was the air strikes on the Japanese mainland by the Americans who "revenge every grievance". Especially the issue of Tokyo's air defense has become a heart problem for Yamamoto. Tokyo is different from other places, the Emperor lives here.The Japanese soldiers in the Showa era may have been obedient to the emperor in the process of executing orders, but most of them have a religious loyalty to the emperor in their bones, and they must not tolerate threats to the emperor's safety.

No matter where he is, Yamamoto asks about the weather in Tokyo.If it was raining in Tokyo, his face would be the opposite of the weather that day. If the sky was clear, he would be restless and sweaty, because the clear sky meant that it provided favorable conditions for the US military to attack Tokyo. Nimitz sent Halsey to carry out a series of air raids on Japanese bases in the Pacific, though ineffective, which further deepened Yamamoto's concerns.He organized a tight maritime cordon on the east coast of Japan's mainland, carrying out guards and patrols day and night. As early as the night of April 17, Halsey discovered the outermost sentry boat of the Japanese maritime cordon through radar. He immediately changed the fleet's course without exposing the target. But on the second day, the task force still failed to escape the sight of the armed fishing boat "Nitto Maru", and what Halsey was most worried about happened.