u/Charming_Barnthroawe

How much of general knowledge concerning the Chinese theater in WWII (likely) comes from just Chinese sources?

https://medium.com/@austinadachi/sihang-warehouse-how-chinas-famous-battle-was-faked-4473c7f1d6ee

^ This question came to my head after reading this post. In the past, I've also visited the talk page of the Wikipedia article for the Hundred Regiments Offensive and the same concern about the lack of Japanese sources regarding certain policies or events can also be seen (especially regarding the "Three Alls Policy"). One-sided sourcing is not very uncommon but I wonder how prevalent they might be in this specific area.

P/S: By general knowledge, I mean general knowledge in Europe and in the US, of course.

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u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 13 hours ago

When the plane of this Japanese Vice Admiral had to make an emergency landing in Zhejiang, China, he committed suicide. Posthumously promoted to Admiral.

According to the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (which I'd consider the most reliable, he's "Masakuni Yamagata". The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia and Wikimedia Commons called him "Seigo Yamagata" while Google Translation and some Reddit comments have called him "Masasato Yamagata".

He graduated from the Naval Academy in July 1911 (Meiji 44) as the 5th highest-ranking officer of the 39th class. All four Admirals of this class, including Seiichi Ito, Yoshikazu Endo, Takeo Takagi, and Yamagata himself, were killed in action as Vice Admirals and were posthumously promoted to Admiral.

https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B1%B1%E7%B8%A3%E6%AD%A3%E9%84%89

u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 2 days ago

How important were directors of local Eighth Route Army Offices?

There were Eighth Route Army Offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Guilin, Taiyuan, Chongqing, Changsha (Hunan), Lanzhou, etc.

Since these would obviously be prime operating grounds of Japanese agents and also agents from the local NRA HQ + MBIS, I presume only cadres of a certain level can be trusted to lead these offices? Wikipedia said that Wu Xiuquan arranged logistical support from the USSR from the Lanzhou Office.

u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 7 days ago
▲ 6 r/16knorthsouth+1 crossposts

Hong Shui, the only "General of Two Countries" in Vietnam

Hong Shui (洪水), born Vũ Nguyên Bác in Gia Lâm, Hà Nội (1908). When he came to China, Nguyễn Ái Quốc, then operating with the alias "Comrade Li Rui", adopted him as his little brother Li Yingsi. He joined the CCP during his time studying at the Whampoa Military Academy and participated in the Guangzhou Uprising, and was the only Vietnamese to complete the Long March. He was expelled from the CCP three times.

In spite of his participation in the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was one of the first and most enthusiastic supporters in recruiting Japanese officers and soldiers to serve as deputies and staff officers in the Việt Minh (led by Hồ Chí Minh, formerly known as "Nguyễn Ái Quốc). In his return to Vietnam, he adopted the name "Nguyễn Sơn" (阮山) and was granted the rank of Major General (there was only one Army General and one Lieutenant General in the North Vietnamese military at the time). Hong Shui's colorful experience in China made him one of the forefathers of Vietnam's military education system. But his talents were not only restricted to military expertise. In fact, one of Vietnam's leading educators, Professor Đặng Thai Mai, once said: "Mr. Sơn's recitation of [The Tale of] Kiều was even better than me!"

On his return to China, he was designated the Director of the Vietnam Section of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee and later Deputy Director of the Regulations Bureau of the Central Military Commission. In 1955, he was made a Major General in the PLA. The next year, Hong Shui died of a malignant tumor in his left lung. Thus, he was the first and remains the only "General of Two Countries" in Sino-Vietnamese history.

Chairman Hồ called him "Sơn đệ" (山弟). It's possible that by the late 1940s, he was the only one that Hồ still addressed with such an intimate honorific, as he called those esteemed and at an older age "cụ" (Vietnamese version of "老"), and addressed himself as "uncle" in front of (generally) younger people.

u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 12 days ago

Have you seen this historical Japanese name?

...The Japan Center for Asian Historical Records placed the name of a deceased posthumous Colonel, commander of Japanese forces in the Battle of Guanjianao as "岡崎謙受". The given name "謙受" proved too tough for me to translate to Latin characters.

u/SlowStop1220 gave an excellent response:

>Well in my first glance it rather looks a signature styled with self-humiliation. A rare instance as a given name, although not impossible. On my quick search, it is a motto of Kurabo Industries as Kenju, a part of a bookstore name in Sayama, Saitama and again a part of a non-profit in Tochigi prefecture. It's uncertain how it reads as a given name.

It is short but very rarely seen, separately, it's generally "Ken" and "Ju" but I was initially taken aback by the combination, unsure how they might work together when I came across it. I wonder if any of you had seen a name like this before?

reddit.com
u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 14 days ago

In 1940, this Japanese commanding officer was KIA in a battle at Guanjianao against Peng Dehuai's Chinese force during the Hundred Regiments Offensive. His name was "岡崎謙受", which is "Ken-something" Okazaki? This is really something I haven't seen before. Initially, I even thought parts of this name might be fake, like "南造云子", however...

...The Japan Center for Asian Historical Records also puts his name as "岡崎謙受", so it must've been true. Anyway, this has proven too tough for me to crack, and I figured I might as well count you guys like I used to do.

reddit.com
u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 14 days ago
▲ 9 r/16knorthsouth+1 crossposts

Excluding Tuoba Gui and Tuoba Tao, of course. I always find it funny how Liu Yu managed to build an all-star lineup of generals while the Tuobas had to deal with the likes of Zhangsun Song, Xi Jin and Wang Jian

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u/Charming_Barnthroawe — 17 days ago