Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 253
Only Noblemtl
#253. Under the Frozen Mountains (3)
“···Let’s make a decision. Nothing will change if we sit here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let us recruit additional reserve forces to create follow-up divisions to support the 1st Army on the Korean Peninsula, and have the 2nd and 3rd Armies land sequentially in the Liaodong area.”
Army Minister Terauchi spoke with sweat dripping down his face, as if his answer had been given after much deliberation.
It goes without saying that, in a situation where neither the Russian Navy nor the resistance forces on the Korean Peninsula had been completely eliminated, landing the 2nd and 3rd Armies on the Liaodong Peninsula was nothing short of a gamble that would require the full capabilities of not only the Imperial Japanese Army but also all of the available transport fleet.
Of course, it was the Imperial General Headquarters’ intelligence assessment that the Russian Army and Navy in that area lacked the capacity to properly defend the Liaodong Peninsula, but there were still many loopholes, and it was still difficult to gamble with tens of thousands of lives based on uncertain information and the Imperial General Headquarters’ assessment alone.
Moreover, the call-up of the four divisions was also being played as a last resort card.
Who would have thought that he would say out loud, just one month after the start of the war, that he was planning to form divisions in key areas to reinforce them in case the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armies suffered major losses?
Naturally, this was bound to provoke a backlash.
“What are you talking about! Instead of the Army, are you saying we should send troops to a place where Roske’s fleet and ground forces might be swarming?!”
Immediately, Major General Hidenori Tojo stood up from his seat in protest. As expected of someone who the Yamagata faction found most difficult, his reaction was extremely sharp.
“We must make a choice. We cannot remain stuck on the Korean Peninsula forever. So let us take some risks and land the 2nd and 3rd armies as planned and completely occupy Dalian and Lushun. Even if we subdue Korea, Russia will resist, but if Russia is subdued, Korea will be unable to do anything.”
“Hmm, it’s similar to when we hit Aizu and Sendai···.”
I heard the words of someone who had experience in the Boshin War.
The Army Minister’s words seemed reasonable at first glance. The reversal of roles here was absolutely unacceptable.
After all, Joseon was Russia’s watchdog, so it was reasonable to subdue the master who commanded the hunting dogs.
The problem was that the process wasn’t all that smooth.
“If we make a mistake, tens of thousands of our young people could end up drowning in the sea. It would be better to land the 2nd and 3rd Armies on the Korean Peninsula and push Pyongyang out…”
“We can’t let those elite troops rot away in Joseon. Let’s reinforce four divisions by January next year and send them all to the Korean Peninsula. If there are any spare units in the reserves, let’s supplement them with the 1st Army, which has suffered a lot of damage.”
Major General Hidenori opposed this headquarters.
“If we fight like this, we may end up facing a two-front war! Only by firmly subduing Joseon will our rear be safe, and that will lead to victory in the war against Roske…”
“We will go to Joseon as well. We will deploy all four divisions that will be called up from Sendai, Utsunomiya, Nagoya, and Kyoto to the Joseon Peninsula to reinforce the 1st Army, and we will also assign the 2nd Reserve Infantry Division to the Joseon Main Army, so don’t worry.”
“but···.”
“Hmm, since he seems to have some knowledge of warfare, I think it would be a good idea to send Major General Hidenori to Korea. Marshal Oyama, how about promoting Major General Hidenori to Lieutenant General, assigning him to the Joseon Reserve Army, and having him command the 2nd Reserve Infantry Division?”
The Minister of the Army looked at Marshal Oyama and made a face that seemed to say, ‘Let’s get rid of that guy.’ Perhaps he was annoyed by Major General Hidenori’s continued noisy opposition to them.
And Marshal Oyama nodded, seeming to have the same thought.
“That’s okay. I’m sure Director Hidenori can handle it.”
Only Major Hidenori stood there dumbfounded, with a blank expression on his face.
It felt like the coldest winter was coming to the headquarters.
It was such a cold winter that if things continued this way, not only would the war not be won or lost, but even the survival of the empire could not be guaranteed.
***
“It’s been almost a month since the news of victory came from Pyongyang, but I’m so frustrated because there’s no refreshing news. I have to worry that the enemy might suddenly attack Hamheung.”
“Your Majesty, do not worry. The Gwanbuk region, including Hamheung, is being defended by the Guards Division and the Jinwi Brigade commanded by General Lee Gyu-tae, the Commander-in-Chief. Our loyal and unrivaled soldiers will be able to hold off the enemy.”
The Emperor of Hamheung kept on boasting, waiting for another refreshing victory.
Although a coup had broken out, he still held onto the throne and was confident that if given the chance, he could once again enjoy his former glory.
In that sense, he was determined to make good use of his new friends, the public.
The public does not know why he was politically suppressed through a military coup.
All I know is that the loyal men saved the country because the traitors who were trying to sell the country to Japan dared to deceive His Majesty the Emperor’s intelligence.
As a result, the generals who had brought him down politically ended up giving him another chance because of the war.
“If I tell the governor that we should go to war against the enemy again, wouldn’t we be able to expect a great victory? If we can continue to have a great victory like the last battle, I will be able to seek peace with them under favorable conditions.”
“Your Majesty, why do you insist on peace with the Japanese? Our soldiers on the front lines are dying from battle and cold, so how can you say such a thing?”
A deep voice was heard from a corner of the palace.
It was Prime Minister Han Kyu-seol.
He was respected by both the military and the people, and was the most hardline pro-war figure of all.
He went so far as to call for a nationwide uprising of volunteer soldiers, saying that peace was tantamount to treason and that the task that Korea must now do was to sweep away the traitors from the country.
“If there is such a time, it would be much more beneficial to write a single line, a single word, that will stir up the loyalists of the country. There will be a time when we will have to make peace, but now is not the time. Now is the time to fight the enemy!”
“I, I just feel sorry for all the people who are about to die···.”
“The Japanese should be the ones to worry about that, not the Emperor of the invaded Korean Empire. Your Majesty, you should firmly hold your ground and become the backbone of our soldiers and people.”
He pressed the emperor with a strong tone, even as he bowed his head.
“Besides, haven’t you seen the reports from the governor? The current situation in the Pyongyang area is not good.”
It has been just over a month since the Japanese army completely destroyed the much-vaunted Guards Division in early November, turning it into a bloody mess.
The emperor said with a puzzled expression.
“No, what are you talking about? Prime Minister, the situation at Sunmuyeong is not good?”
Han Gyu-seol calmly explained the situation.
“A report has come in that Soon Mu-yeong will soon abandon Hwangju’s defense line and withdraw all troops to the main city of Pyongyang. Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates have formed a front line, perhaps repeating their mistakes from the previous battle, and are putting great pressure on our troops.”
A single turn was not enough to stop the Japanese army’s massive offensive, and instead, the Japanese army quickly replenished their losses by mobilizing large numbers of replacement troops, and then chose the classic strategy of giving up maneuver and slowly forming a front line, eliminating the defensive strongholds around Pyongyang one by one.
Of course, the Japanese army’s losses were serious, but in proportion, the friendly army’s defensive strongholds were collapsing one by one, and the loss of troops had also reached a level that could not be ignored.
Even though they had mobilized all their reserve forces and rearmed their troops with various equipment thanks to the goodwill of the German Empire, the reality was that it was becoming difficult to even maintain the defensive line.
“The biggest problem is the supply of ammunition, Your Majesty.”
“Didn’t the military purchase a large amount of ammunition from various countries when he was the military affairs director?”
“We had stockpiled so much ammunition, but it is now dropping to very dangerous levels.”
Han Gyu-seol also had no choice but to lose his flagship in this part.
From the smallest rifle bullets to cannon shells, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the consumption was enormous.
The stockpiles in South Pyongan Province were almost depleted, and North Pyongan Province said it still had some spare capacity, but if things continue as they are now, something really painful could happen.
“So how much ammunition do they have left? Why don’t we move the ammunition from Gwanbuk to Gwanseo to support their battle?”
“As for ammunition itself, if you combine the Kansai and Kanbuk, there is still a huge amount. Even if it is not, there are millions of rounds of various ammunition stockpiled. However, the real problem is how quickly and accurately these can be delivered to the front lines. Your Majesty, in the current situation where the railways are insufficient, the only means of supplying ammunition are horse-drawn carriages and manpower.”
It was also true that the means to supply ammunition from the rear to the front were not so plentiful.
The mobilization order was to conscript laborers, civilian carts, and horse-drawn carriages, and even prisoners of war were to be deployed to redeploy ammunition from the rear to the front lines, but it was not enough.
“Oh, what an unexpected problem. If we have our own weapons depot in Hamheung, wouldn’t we be able to replenish supplies through Aras? No Japanese pirates have entered between the Yalu River and the other side yet.”
“Your Majesty, my nose is three feet long.”
The supply of raw materials was cut off from the Russian Empire.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the supply chain for raw materials that had been purchased through agents from France and supplied to Vladivostok collapsed.
It was almost identical to the collapse of the distribution network in the Siberian region, which had been living off of grain and livestock produced on the Korean Peninsula.
As the supply of picric acid, essential for the production of 75mm high-explosive and shrapnel bombs, was cut off, the ammunition depots were forced to close, and even the few that were purchased were taken away by the Russians, claiming they would use them, so only a handful were coming in.
Behind the first powerful victory, the biggest problem facing Russia and Korea was slowly eating away at the ground they were standing on.
“What does that mean? How can a great country like Russia do that?”
“Nosua also has serious problems with the supply of weapons and ammunition, so they say they cannot afford to send them to us. In general, Sunmuyeong is not able to properly replenish his troops and ammunition, and for this reason, he suggested that in the event of an emergency, he should give up Pyeongan Province and boldly reduce the defensive front to Hamgyeong Province.”
“That is absolutely unacceptable! If we abandon Pyeongan Province and withdraw to Hamgyeong Province, we will be trapped in this narrow and barren pond!”