cicada

Chapter 1480 Good and evil will eventually be rewarded

When Yokoyama entered the oil depot, a family in Tokyo was having a meal at the depot. Suddenly, their youngest daughter, wearing a red woolen hat, looked up and asked her parents a question.

"Otosan (Father), Ogasan (Mother), why did the Empire go to war with the Republic of China?"

Upon hearing this, the girl's father sat up straight, put down his chopsticks, and said seriously, "No, that's not a war. The Empire is helping the Republic of China escape the oppression of the Western devils, understand?"

The little girl nodded vigorously, indicating that she understood. Her mother, who was standing to the side, hesitated to speak, but said nothing because of her husband's stern gaze.

The family of three had just finished talking when the air raid siren sounded outside. The husband immediately told his wife to fetch their valuables so the whole family could go to the air raid shelter for refuge.

Hours before the bombing began, 334 B-29 bombers took off from bases in Guam, Tinian, Saipan and other locations at 50-second intervals, heading toward Tokyo.

Each of these bombers carried 6 to 8 tons of new incendiary bombs. Based on the bombing effect on Jiangcheng, each aircraft was enough to create a fire area of ​​6000 square meters.

1945年3月9日凌晨12点15分，两架B29作为先导机飞抵东京上空，它们根据军统引发的爆炸点投出了标记照明弹。

The Tokyo city area, which should have been pitch black, became as bright as day under the illumination of the flares, and countless important buildings were exposed to the US military's view.

The buzzing of engines reached the ears of Tokyo residents. Some paid no attention, some ran desperately to the air-raid shelters, and some stopped to look up at the night sky.

Amidst the clouds, a large formation of US bombers could be seen intermittently, their beams of light sweeping from one side of the horizon to the other, the massive formation stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Baka! Get into the air-raid shelter quickly!"

Police officers blew their whistles and loudly directed citizens to leave the road to avoid the air raid, but the panicked crowd blocked the road, greatly slowing down the evacuation.

The family of three who had fled earlier were swept up by the surging crowd and moved forward involuntarily. The girl cried loudly, and the husband and wife looked terrified.

The American planes gave the Japanese no chance to escape. The bomber groups rushed toward the target in formation and began dropping bombs under the guidance of flares.

Thousands upon thousands of incendiary bombs rained down from the sky, landing on the rooftops and igniting the tiles and wood. The flames spread in all directions, creating a moving wall of fire.

The city of Tokyo was ablaze with flames, which soared into the sky. The wind whipped the flames around the rooftops, making the air incredibly hot.

Some Tokyo residents collapsed while running, clutching their throats. The scorching air burned their respiratory tracts, and once they fell, they had no chance to get up again.

The swarming crowd trampled the fallen man into a bloody pulp. The discipline that the Japanese were so proud of vanished, and only panic spread.

Even more critically, the wind speed decreased at this time, and the flames and hot air generated an updraft that drew in the surrounding air, perfectly meeting the conditions for the formation of a "fire tornado," which made the fire even more intense.

Fire tornadoes attract and lift burning materials into the air, where they then fall back down and ignite anything they encounter.

In a very short time, more than 300 B-29 bombers dropped thousands of incendiary bombs on Tokyo, and dozens of modified B-29s directly dropped tens of tons of gasoline.

With a combination of factors, the flames that were originally scattered in various places quickly gathered into a raging storm of fire that swept across the entire city of Tokyo.

In some parts of Tokyo, ground temperatures instantly approached 1,000 degrees Celsius. Under these conditions, trees, houses, and even people spontaneously combusted, and even metal was melted.

Firefighters also attempted to extinguish the flames using hand-cranked water pumps, wet mats, and sand, but the effect was virtually zero.

The situation was even more dire in the lower-lying areas. The raging fire burned away all the oxygen in the air, and those who were on fire and lacking oxygen scrambled to jump into the water to escape. When the flames swept across the river, countless corpses filled the surface.

Seeing the situation was dire, the remaining people hid in concrete department stores or theaters to escape the fire, but they all suffocated and died, their bodies piling up several meters high.

Tokyo residents who entered the air-raid shelters also perished; the fire warped the fire doors, and those inside died silently.

Countless Japanese civilians ran around like headless flies, desperately seeking a safe place to hide.

In the chaos, a red woolen hat lay quietly on the sidewalk, its surface covered with footprints and sewage, but the owner of the hat was nowhere to be seen.

The crew of the American bombers could not see the consequences of the incendiary bombs they dropped, but the formation behind them saw a scene that resembled the end of the world, vividly demonstrating the cruelty of modern warfare.

When the third wave of bombers arrived over Tokyo, the sky was already ablaze with fire, thick smoke filled the air, and a foul odor permeated the cabins.

The closer they got to Tokyo, the more violently the bombers shook. This was because the fires on the ground created strong updrafts that constantly impacted the aircraft, causing it to shake violently.

The newly arrived American pilot opened his mouth wide, made the sign of the cross with his hand, and muttered: "Merciful God."
Unfortunately, prayers could not extinguish the flames that were hundreds of meters high. The fuselages of many low-flying American bombers were blackened by smoke, and the bombs in their bomb bays were almost at critical temperatures.

"FUXK! Drop the bomb!!"

The technician noticed the thermometer, picked up the communicator, and yelled at the bombardiers, "If you don't drop the incendiary bombs soon, they'll all become torches in the air!"

The Japanese also retaliated, with several Japanese night fighters scrambling to take off, but they suffered heavy losses under the attack of American escort fighters.

Desperate Japanese pilots shouted "Damn it!" and crashed their planes into a formation of bombers. This act could be described as heroic, but the results were minimal.

Less than half an hour after the bombing began, 22 arsenals that the U.S. military considered a thorn in its side and had always wanted to destroy but had never succeeded in doing so were completely burned to the ground, and tens of thousands of experienced workers were burned alive.

Military and political institutions such as the Army Ministry and the General Staff Headquarters were also razed to the ground. Top-secret intelligence that was once worth a fortune flew into the air and turned to ashes in an instant, like pieces of burning paper money.

Many schools and research institutes that were being evacuated were targeted, and a large number of students, teachers and researchers perished in the fire.

Near Sakurada Gate, a large area of ​​Japanese-style buildings was hit by several incendiary bombs. The palace, built of precious wood, was suddenly set ablaze, and the flames could be seen from miles away. Fu Ling's efforts had not been in vain.

Inside an air-raid shelter on the outskirts of Tokyo, five or six well-dressed Japanese men watched the scene through observation slits, their expressions one of profound grief. At the front of the group, a thin man with a long, narrow face and a mustache turned and asked the Chief of the General Staff, Yoshijiro Umezu, a few questions.

"It's truly regrettable that the army failed to prevent such damage."

Why did the Empire's air defense system fail?

Why did night fighters and anti-aircraft guns fail to shoot down enemy aircraft?

Although the man with the long, narrow face spoke in a calm tone, these questions were like heavy blows to Yoshijiro Umezu, making his forehead covered in cold sweat.

The air-raid shelter was silent. The generals all bowed their heads and remained silent. In the distance, the crackling sound of explosions could be heard, and the firelight cast flickering shadows on their faces.

After a long while, the anger in the shoehorn-faced man's eyes gradually faded, and then he asked about something else.

"I've heard that the Imperial intelligence agency in Shanghai received advance notice of the air raid. Haven't you discussed countermeasures yet?"

Now Yoshijiro Umezu was even more nervous. He kept swallowing, feeling his scalp tingling. After thinking for a long time, he finally gave a stammering answer.

"Hase-kun's intelligence was timely. The military has been working hard to evacuate, but the Americans acted too quickly."

For the sake of money, Yoshijiro Umezu did not shift the blame to Ryosuke Hase, but instead found a universal excuse, implying that everything was the responsibility of the American devils.

The man with the long, narrow face gave a cold laugh. Just because he didn't say something didn't mean he didn't know it. After all, members of the Hoshinobu organization were involved in Hase's business.

But then again, this matter really has nothing to do with Hasegawa. Among so many intelligence agencies, only the other side discovered the Americans' unusual movements. Isn't that a merit?

Shoehorn Face was always generous to those who could bring him wealth. He was too lazy to pursue the matter further and directly gave orders to Yoshijiro Umezu.

"Hurry up and tally the extent of the air raid damage and the number of civilian casualties. My general, don't let me down again."

The man with the long, narrow face remained defiant, but his attendants noticed that his hand, hidden in his sleeve, was trembling slightly. This head of state, known for his "toughness," was afraid!

"Hai!"

After receiving the order, Yoshijiro Umezu fled the fortifications as if he were running away, and at the same time, he silently chose a scapegoat: "You're the one, Kiyofuku Okamoto."

He had clearly seen that the explosions occurred in Tokyo before the American planes even arrived.

It was the flashes from these explosions that guided the American bombers; otherwise, the enemy's attack would not have been so accurate, and the Empire's losses would not have been so great.

As the head of Tokyo's counter-espionage efforts, Okamoto Kiyofuku bears significant responsibility for the espionage and explosions that have occurred within the city.

Yoshijiro Umezu summoned his trusted adjutant and whispered, "Immediately take control of Kiyofuku Okamoto. I suspect he is an accomplice of Shigenobu Okamoto (Zuo Shigenobu's pseudonym, the mastermind behind Chapter 226)."

In another direction outside the city, Fu Ling and her men stood on a hill overlooking the city. Everyone looked shocked; they had not expected the incendiary bombs to be so terrifying.

A gentle breeze carried a strange smell of burning and meat. The newly transferred junior agent in Tokyo couldn't hold it in and rushed to the side to vomit.

Fu Ling frowned slightly. The training class's level was getting worse every year. If they couldn't even stand this little bit of smell, how would they be able to carry out missions in the future?

She instructed her deputy to find an opportunity to transfer the junior agent back to China. Operations behind enemy lines were not child's play; there could be no mistakes. The agent was not suitable for this job.

"Retreat. Enter a state of infiltration in the near future and await new orders. Be careful of the Japanese tracking you down."

After giving instructions to her subordinates, Fu Ling smiled as she faced the blazing Tokyo and stepped into the darkness.

As dawn broke on March 10, the distraught survivors left their shelters. The fire in Tokyo was still raging, and countless ashes fell from the sky like gray snowflakes.

Looking up, a quarter of Tokyo no longer exists. Most buildings have been razed to the ground, streets and landmarks are barely recognizable, rivers have evaporated, and the stench of corpses permeates the air.

Many Tokyo residents walked among the ruins like zombies. The husband of a family of three knelt on the ground, holding a red woolen hat and wailing. This was the only trace left by his wife and daughter.

Were these Japanese people pitiful? Yes, they were, but when they chose to support the war, their fate was already sealed.

In contrast, the people of Nanjing, Jinan, and other cities during the Republic of China era had never provoked anyone and only wanted to live a peaceful life, yet they were met with massacre.

Sow good seeds and reap good fruit; sow evil seeds and reap evil fruit. The people of Tokyo should hate the locusts, the zaibatsu and military personnel who started the war, not the military intelligence and American pilots who were responsible for guiding it.

Meanwhile, the US military, based on aerial reconnaissance, found that the bombing was very effective, so it struck while the iron was hot and continued to bomb other Japanese cities.

3月11日名古屋被炸，3月13日大阪被炸，3月16日神户被炸，日本人在明治维新之后发展起来的所有现代城市均陷入火海。

The whole world was shocked by the actions of the Americans, but the Germans, the biggest adversary of the US military, had no interest in the war in Asia.

On March 7, U.S. forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, becoming the first Allied force to cross the Rhine River, and the countdown to Germany's defeat began.

On March 25, the 3th Air Force bombed Tokyo again.

On the same day, Gui Youguang, who was in charge of the Guihe Bridge project, quietly returned to the mountain city and reported an important discovery to Zuo Zhong.

Wu Chunyang, who was in charge of intelligence gathering, analysis, and assessment for the Military Intelligence Bureau, also reported two pieces of news, one good and one bad.

　① Japanese kitchen
　　(End of this chapter)