Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 322
Only Noblemtl
#322. The Legend of Lightning War (2)
“Therefore, the battle we are about to face will be so magnificent and fierce that no words can describe it. In this battle we are about to face, the brave will lose their courage, the righteous will abandon their righteousness, and the loyal will be so desperate that they will betray their oath at the Independence Gate.”
I shouted, much louder than before.
It’s as if not only the soldiers here, but the entire world is listening.
“But only one class of brave men will stand here resolutely against the enemy, and that class is the free people. We, the free people, will stand today against the enemy for the sake of our country, which has of our own free will endure for five hundred years, and for the sake of our children who shall inherit it!”
Without a word, the cavalrymen who had lined up began to roll the butts of their rifles on the ground.
In time with the beat, the sound of ‘thumping’ slowly filled the parade grounds.
“So, while time is running out, let us fight with all our might against the new order they are imposing. Let us resist the new rule they are imposing. Let us break the chains they are imposing! When we start a fire like a small spark in the frozen soil of the northeast, the governors and volunteers from all over the country will follow like wildfire!”
This time, the staff of the Marshal’s Office rolled their military boots.
It was clear that this would have been quite a spectacular sight to anyone who saw it.
The Russian liaison officers smiled as if they too had been struck by the heightened tension.
“I don’t know how many soldiers they have, but at this moment, all they can face is the rage of the great people who have been invaded and have suffered humiliation for the past several decades. You are the spear, the sword, and the shield of the people, so let’s all rise up and save this country and people! And although it is difficult, let’s reclaim Hanseong. So that we all triumph under the Independence Gate and proudly tell our brothers and sisters who have suffered under oppression that the free people have returned to break the chains.”
There was no cheering or applause, but the rising morale was palpable.
The news that Wonsan had been recaptured had already reached everyone, and you probably guessed that the main force of the enemy ground forces that had been harassing us until the end had been destroyed.
I slowly pulled out the sword at my waist, raised it towards the sky, and continued speaking as if shouting my final words.
Maybe my throat will be sore tomorrow.
“Now, let us advance to that battlefield without hesitation for our endlessly unfolding future! At this very moment, the nations of the world will be watching our brilliant resistance, so let us fight with everything we have left to end the war! For our country and His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Long live the Korean Empire! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Let us reclaim our homeland and fatherland!”
Finally, a huge cheer was heard calling for Hamheung to leave.
They raised their rifles with bayonets in the air and aimed their swords at the sun, regardless of their status. It was clear that some of them would never see their liberated homeland or the day of victory.
But as the saying goes, the price of freedom is high, and the price of opposing tyranny is even higher, and they would accept it without hesitation and with a smile.
Under the great cheers, I immediately advanced the cavalry to advance towards Hansung via the Wonsan Road.
And just before departure, we were able to hear news of victory from Bongcheon.
It was the moment when both the thin neck that supported the huge head and the huge head it supported both collapsed.
We have stepped forward towards the legend of the lightning war that has been talked about for so long.
***
“Commander! An urgent telegram from the Manchurian Army Headquarters! Our forces have suffered a crushing defeat at Fengtian! Our main force has been shattered and is retreating to Lushun and Uiju!”
“The Yalu Army has been annihilated. The Roske have completely destroyed the divisions of the Yalu Army trapped on the right wing of the front. There are no more troops left under the Park Geun-hye Army!”
“Wonsan, all friendly news has been cut off from Wonsan. Plaintext telegraphs have not arrived for 36 hours, and the Guards Division and the 2nd Reserve Infantry Division, which were supposed to move to the plateau to defend against the North Korean soldiers’ counterattack, have also lost contact! Commander, what should we do now?! Orders, orders!”
At the headquarters of the Gyeongseong Army, Lieutenant General Yoshimichi Hasegawa was speechless by the pouring in reports.
Only the worst news he could think of awaited him.
In Fengtian, only 100,000 of the 210,000 troops survived and fled in scattered directions toward Lushun and Uiju.
It was said that this telegraph report was able to continue thanks to one of the cavalrymen from Akiyama’s territory who survived and headed to Port Arthur on Akiyama’s orders during the final delaying battle.
Thanks to the sacrifice of the Akiyama area, the remaining troops of the 2nd and 4th Armies, including General Oyama, Chief of Staff Gentaro Gotama, were able to withdraw, but no information has yet been found about General Nogi’s 3rd Army.
The gloomy prospect of possible annihilation circulated within the command as uncertain information.
“Even the Yalu River Army, which was supposed to help us….”
“······.”
The most painful one was the Yalu River Army.
They fought against Roske’s 1st Manchurian Army under the orders of the Manchurian Army General Headquarters and were eventually annihilated. No, to be precise, it was only assumed that they were annihilated.
Unlike other units, they were trapped in a place where they could not retreat, so their chances of survival were slim.
There, the communication with Wonsan was suddenly cut off.
Plaintext reports came in every 12 hours, but occasionally the telegraph lines would be cut due to sabotage by the mob, so at first I didn’t think much of it, but that turned out to be the cause of the trouble.
After 36 hours, the place had reached a point where nothing could be known, and the Korean Army Headquarters was caught in a cycle of despair, unable to escape from the two-person triangle race of shock and fear.
Neither the arrogant Lieutenant General Asada nor Lieutenant General Hidenori, who had been fighting with his wit, could be found any longer.
“If Wonsan has been occupied by Joseon bastards, it will be a serious problem. We must gather the 1st Army and 15th Division scattered throughout the three southern provinces and gather them in Gyeongseong!”
“We can’t confirm the enemy’s expected attack location. Now, the enemy will pour in from all directions. In the worst case scenario, if we assume that we lose all 30,000 troops, including the two friendly divisions in the highlands and the new government forces, there is no way for us to fight them. At least we have to hold on to Gyeongseong, Gyeongseong!”
Now, all that the military could muster and mobilize was the remaining 20,000 troops of the 1st Army, 12,000 troops of the 15th Division, 5,000 garrison and supply units deployed in various places, and a mixed bag of new government troops, totaling only about 50,000 troops.
This was a very small number compared to the 300,000 North Korean soldiers gathered in Hamgyeong Province.
“During the Bunroku War (the Imjin War), when 170,000 Joseon troops and 50,000 Ming troops attacked from all sides, we gathered our troops in Gyeongseong and secured a safe retreat route. We must do the same this time. Otherwise, the enemies may quickly come down to Gyeongseong!”
“······.”
Hasegawa didn’t even know what to think at that moment.
Should we ask the mainland headquarters for support? No, they are also at the limit of their manpower and supplies. Because of the disgrace on the Korean Peninsula and the diplomatic operations of the despicable Koreans, the sales of national bonds are lower than expected, so they are tightening their belts.
So should we be harassing the new government to recruit more soldiers?
But when I think about it, that was also suicidal.
It was not long before the conscription riots led directly to armed uprisings.
In order to suppress it, they withdrew a large number of troops, even combat troops from the front lines, and suffered considerable losses, but were barely able to maintain control.
Now that the army had suffered a decisive defeat at Fengtian, he had little choice.
Strictly speaking, the Navy had to destroy the Roske fleet under perfect conditions, which was nothing more than a gamble.
Even though Admiral Togo was an outstanding admiral, I did not think he could do anything in the worst situation the Japanese Empire was currently facing.
Now all that remained was to somehow gather the remaining troops in the metropolis into Hanseong.
However, it was only a matter of time before the news of this defeat spread not only to himself but to all Joseon people across the country, and he did not know if that was possible.
Soon enough, the rabble who called themselves the ‘Second Front’ would emerge from the cracks again, severing and isolating all the long and thin supply lines and connections between the major cities that were barely maintained, slowly decimating them from the ends.
As that thought crossed his mind, a cold sweat broke out in his head.
It was even more so when I thought that all of this was included in the military strategy of that damned guy named Kim Si-hyuk.
So, did all the battles that took place on the Korean Peninsula up until now just happen to be in this guy’s hands?
It wasn’t just simple hatred, it was a feeling of awe.
“Your Excellency Commander!”
“Gather all the troops towards Gyeongseong by any means necessary.”
“yes?”
“There is no way now. Since our army in Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula has virtually evaporated, we need to hold on to Gyeongseong if we are to do anything for the future.”
Still, he has not given up on his will to do something as a soldier.
Now the winds had changed and the Imperial Japanese Army was headed toward destruction, but it had no intention of sitting back and letting it happen.
“We still have Gunsan, Jemulpo, and Busan in our hands. We have control over the ports and major cities, so if we can just defend Gyeongseong, we can do anything.”
Yes, the ports are still within our grasp.
No matter how great Kim Si-hyuk was, he would be helpless in the sea where the overwhelming power of the Imperial Navy remained.
“Even if these guys had occupied Wonsan, they would have had to mobilize a large number of troops, so they wouldn’t have been able to come straight to Pyongyang or Gaeseong. While they are reorganizing, we will concentrate our troops here as much as possible. Concentrate the 2nd Division, 12th Division, and 15th Division.”
“All right.”
Since they were guys who fought like textbooks, he wouldn’t do anything crazy like he thought. No, he had to do it.
But his obsession with predicting enemy behavior was going so spectacularly wrong.