I own nothing from Hearts of Iron nor the Kaiserriech Mod.
Private Bedros Sahakian
Journal Entry 7
June 10, 1932, Friday
We finally made it! After weeks and weeks out in sea our company has reached Shanghai. Most of our unit came out on deck to get a good look of what will be our station. As it turns out nothing I heard from the stories told nor read from Time Magazine's articles could've prepared me for the real deal. I must confess I got more excited and anxious the closer we got to land.
We passed several wooden vessels that are called Junk sailing south from us miles away. As I recall from research, the Junk has been used by the people of this land for centuries in various models and sizes. Its curved, elliptical sails give the Junk a very exotic design in my opinion. The fishermen seemed to have been bringing back the latest catch of the day. Wonder if we'll be eating some of it in the near future.
It took some time but as we entered the bay of the Yangtze, a German U-Boat surfaced ahead of us. It took us all off guard to put it mildly. Had they been tailing us and if so for how long? Considering the sheer carnage the U-Boats inflicted at sea during the Weltkrieg it is sobering to think about. I watched some of the submarine crew come out and started making their own preparations to dock.
The one I assume to be captain waved at us with a smug smirk like the Cheshire Cat in that old children's novel. Cheeky kraut.
Our ship, the USS Mule, navigated into the Huangpu River that led us into Shanghai's very heart. The city is very modern yet blended with various elements of China's past. East meets West indeed. The air smelled of a thousand odors, some familiar and others not so much. Even before we docked it already felt a bit humid. One guy next to me remarked that the temperature reminded him of New Orleans in the summer.
It wasn't long before our nocoms got us going. We're pretty motivated to get off this tube. The sailors were more than relieved that we were leaving them. Well the feeling is mutual. Now I don't have to hear those swabbies who kept complaining about everything about us marines. Like where we sat, ate or ate or just gave us the stink eye. Another month together onboard with them and we would've had a riot if not a small war.
Finally we docked on the waterfront near the commercial center called the Bund. Carrying my seabag down the gangway was when I finally set foot in China. It felt surreal to do that. Of course our captain decided our company would march through streets to our new barracks instead of driving there in the trucks as originally intended. I can tell some of the guys weren't thrilled but they kept it to themselves, knowing the Gunny would have their hides if there was even one word of complaint.
So loading our sea bags in the trucks that went ahead of us, our company then began our march holding our rifles at the shoulders. We did this so many times stateside that we all knew it on instinct by now. But it certainly was a different sensation doing so in a foreign port.
Dog Company made its way through without much difficulty. Many locals watched our march. I can tell a number of them are used to our presence since the fourth regiment has been here for quite some time. Some were curious, some amused and others were bored out of their minds or downright resentful. The latter definitely made me appreciate my training more than before.
Can't help how they feel about me or change the politics but I can take care of myself and be there for my brothers. Hopefully that's enough.
It took some time but we finally made it to the barracks. We were greeted by the regiment's colonel and his staff. He gave us a 'welcome speech' which had more instructions on what was expected of us in helping to guard the Shanghai Legation. Once that was done we got our bags and went to set up in our new billets. They'll have food for us soon.
Been quite an eventful day but I can't wait to get some shut eye. From what I've seen of Shanghai so far I'm going to need it.