January 12th, 1944
Burma Campaign
Air Front
Burma - The most notable air action of the day is a Ki-21 "Sally" raid on Moulmein. Warehouses are burned and some railroads damaged, but traffic resumes the following evening.
During this time, the 2nd British ID completes its deployment in the Rangoon area.
It is a fresh and "good warfare" unit, but it remains for the moment in general reserve.
Its training in amphibious operations makes it a valuable unit in the context of a future operation against Malaysia, an operation that cannot take place immediately, if only because of the lack of specialized ships, mobilized in Europe, in the Central Pacific, or to support the Australians in New Guinea.
Indochina Campaign
Talisman
On the road to Cao Bang (Tonkin) - Corporal Kazuya Kujo touches his chest in a familiar gesture. Hanging from a chain, a ring decorated with a small ruby reminds him of his teenage years, his trip to Europe... and a promise. This ring, it is him who had offered it to the one he loved, a French woman. But the young girl had given it back to him with a touch of mischief. She had given it back to him, telling him to come back and offer the ring to her when he could transform his childish wishes into adult actions.
That was in 1938. He is now an adult, but the world has not become simpler. On the contrary. A fluent French speaker, Kujo was sent by the Army to a place where he could make himself useful. That is to say in Indochina...
Fear clutches his stomach.
The patrol has just crossed a small stream when suddenly rifle shots start slamming. It comes from the right, from the wooden buildings of one of these tiny villages that are on the road. Lieutenant Mitsuya - a bastard Kujo hates - has already reacted. He orders the young man to put his FM in battery to cover the attack on the hamlet.
Corporal Kazuya obeys, because these are smart orders. When it is not the case, he politely explains the problem. But the officers do not accept or understand this.
A soldier obeys like a faithful dog, without questioning, and above all, he does not tell his superior that he is wrong, whatever he may think apart from himself.
With his eye glued to the minimalist viewfinder of the FM type 96, Kazuya sees two Vietnamese in black and straw hats... Peasants, but with guns in their hands. His weapon jerks as if he was training, two short bursts to avoid heating up the gun and above all not to empty too quickly the magazine of only 30 bullets. He has four others strapped to his chest and that's it! Over there, the men are rolling on the ground.
Kazuya Kujo looks up to follow the battle. With the trees and the bushes, he can only see what is going on around him, but the almost continuous snapping of the guns informs him enough. The enemy... the Vietminh... has grenades in number and the assault was met with a wall of explosions.
- Kazuya, stop dreaming!
The lieutenant has just passed behind his victim. Not far away, a few soldiers raise their heads up in spite of the situation. They are waiting for the next step.
- I'm not dreaming, Lieutenant. I use my eyes. I don't have many bullets, so I'm waiting for a good target.
- Kuso!
The lieutenant clenches his fists while spitting out this rudeness. He seems to be about to hit his subordinate, but turns around and curses in a low voice.
Kazuya Kujo comes from a military family, a traditional family where children are trained with discipline and obedience, but as he was only the third son, his father gave in to his mother, who wanted him to receive a different education from that of his elders, promised to the Army. He had studied and proved to be gifted in languages - English, but also French, an unusual choice in Japan. Today, because he had spent time in Europe, he is considered by many as "decadent" and "poisoned by the spirit of the whites". He has no friends among the troops. Unlike the others, Kujo has resisted being brainwashed.
He does not participate in the exactions against the civilian population. Several times, his comrades beat him like a plaster under the eyes of the officers.
His superiors would have gladly gotten rid of him, but three things prevented them from doing so.
First, his family includes many officers, some of them high ranking, and nobody wants to offend them. Second, his courage and shooting skills are known and appreciated by the whole the regiment. Finally... The Japanese Army in Indochina was in great need of translators. And yet, Kujo has learned enough Vietnamese, which he mixes with less and less French, to make himself understood.
However, the relative tolerance of his leaders did not go further than letting him live. He remains the whipping boy of his companions. Lieutenant Mitsuya told him more than once "I will break you!" For him, it has become a matter of honor - of what he considers as honor. He will get the better of the one who undermines his authority, he will turn him into an automaton like the others, who will obey without adding a word. For Kazuya Kujo has no say in determining what Corporal Kazuya should do, say and even think.
Two homemade grenades explode in front of the rock that shelters the young Japanese. Calmly, he straightens up and fires in short bursts. Once... twice... three times. The two closest attackers have fallen, but the firing pin slams into the void. He takes cover again and changes the magazine. Only four more, counting this one!
He gets up as the Vietnamese advance once again, a few rifle shots slamming into his ears. The FM jerks in his hands. He doesn't check the result of his attack and dives back behind his shelter before crawling a little further. Grenades fall all around, shredding the bushes, plowing the ground. Kazuya feels a piece of shrapnel tear his calf. He stands up and sweeps the attackers away with a long burst. The final clack informs him that he has just emptied another magazine. Three more.
He begins to speak in French, without even realizing it, addressing an absent woman: "I must live! I have a promise to fulfill!" It seems to him that a strange warmth emanates from the ring and its ruby, as from a talisman which would protect him.
His weapon reloaded again, he covers his escape with a burst and runs like a madman, zigzagging between the trees. All around, the skirmish turns to carnage for the Nipponese, the shots are now coming from three sides - a trap!
Kazuya gets behind a large rock that is already a fortress for three other Japanese.
Grabbing his FM, he empties what's left of his magazine to push the enemy back and reloads. Two more to go!
He listens. A little chilled by their losses, the Vietnamese are reorganizing themselves, calling out to each other without caution.
- They are going to attack from the right", he translates to his comrades.
Two of the soldiers nodded and pulled out type 91 grenades, which they threw to the right.
The double explosion kills the attackers, who retreat. Corporal Kazuya encourages their escape with three precise bursts that put down two more men.
There follows a pause. Kujo listens carefully. The enemy seems to be advancing on both sides of the road, he is going to encircle them.
- Let's run back. We have to cross the stream again by the monkey bridge.
The bridge in question can only be crossed in single file, the plank being just wide enough for one person. Once over the creek, they will be a bit sheltered. And around the bridge, some Japanese soldiers still resist. The four men set off. On the edge of the bridge, Kazuya stays on the ground, in the mud, because all the trees are already used as hiding places for one or two of his comrades.
He scans the area where the enemies are coming from. For the time being, they remain under cover, but twice Kazuya sees a silhouette. He squeezes the trigger and empties his gun.
Without knowing if he has hit his target, he gets on his back to replace the empty magazine. One more.
Grenades fly through the air before detonating, chopping up the vegetation and preceding a stampede of the Viets. He fires almost reflexively... one burst... two... As if in slow motion, he sees his comrades fall, bloodied, but the bullets leave the barrel of his gun and find targets, piercing chests, piercing arms, blowing heads off.
A surprised silence follows the cacophony of fire and blood. The final slam of the firing pin resounds like thunder. Without a single bullet, the FM was just a weight. Kazuya leaves it there and rushes towards the bridge, crossing it in a rush. Bullets whistle, but his talisman protects him.
On the other side, most of the Japanese are dead. Among the wounded, Kazuya recognizes Lieutenant Mitsuya. Shrapnel has pierced his intestines. In this vegetal hell, it is the death... a dirty death.
- Not able to... die... Kazuya? Too... decadent... to die properly!
Mitsuya persifutes again. Kujo picks up the officer's sword and Nambu gun.
- I believe that living and doing things to be proud of is more important than dying a hero. But I'll do you two favors, Lieutenant. First, I will finish you off. Second, I'll tell your family that you fought bravely. Oh..,you raped unfortunate women and slaughtered innocent people... but you were brave. You died a hero!
Kujo cocked the gun and fired.
Then he continues, as if the lieutenant could still hear him: "There is someone I want to find. I can't die. Love is stronger than hate, lieutenant."
Under his vest, he touches the ring and its ruby.
