Judging from the data on paper, the first performance of the Kongyi Division was perfect, and the casualty ratio between the enemy and ourselves could simply be described as unbelievable.
Achieving such results is naturally inseparable from the hard work of the pilots. Of course, we also have to thank the mindless ground-licking paramecium army led by Reizo Ishida.
If they hadn't voluntarily given up altitude and left the escort mission behind, the casualties among the soldiers of the 1st Air Division would certainly not have been so light.
Although the downed data includes a large number of bombers, as long as they are shot down, it counts as a record, not to mention that the novices have actually accumulated combat experience.
As for the five downed pilots, they were flying three Hurricanes and two Fighters.
The two fighters were shot down by the Japanese with self-defense aviation machine guns while intercepting bombers. Although the 97 Heavy Explosion cannot compare with the B17 Sky Fortress in terms of protection and firepower, it is still a heavy bomber after all.
They are equipped with 3-5 aviation machine guns, and they still have some combat effectiveness after forming a formation.
Fortunately, Fang Ziyi led the team to break up the Japanese formation, and the red sun rockets played a great role in attacking the bomber formation.
With the means of attacking the 97 heavy explosions from a long distance, soldiers can avoid close contact with the Japanese.
The other three Hurricanes are a bit of a pity. In theory, they have altitude and performance advantages, and they also have the bonus of B&Z tactics, so they are basically impossible to shoot down.
When the battle began, the Hurricane not only carried rockets, but also aerial bombs. Although the martial virtue is very abundant, the large amount of ammunition affects its own mobility.
You can't throw aerial bombs casually, after all, there are friendly forces underneath. Rockets cannot be fired casually. They are not guided. If they miss, they will hit friendly forces.
However, these weapons now have a place to be used, and there are tens of thousands of Japanese troops waiting ahead.
After the air battle, Captain Wang Hai looked at his parachuting comrades. Then he picked up the communicator and issued a new combat mission on the channel.
"Next let's go to Xinxiang! Destroy the enemy's airport!"
"If there are any targets worth attacking along the way, I will arrange temporary tactics. Follow my command for all actions, let's go!"
·····
Ninth Army, field command post.
Pei Changhui's attitude towards the Eighth Route Army is much better than that of Baldhead, Yan Laoxi and Sheng Tiebi. He is a soldier who truly adheres to the united front.
When he was promoted to commander of the Ninth Army last year, the army had many opportunities to contact the Eighth Route Army.
Facing a team that was sincerely fighting the war, he did not create friction. Instead, he provided aid to the Eighth Route Army many times and even had good personal relationships with many senior generals.
At this time, Commander Pei was holding a phone in his command post with a shocked expression on his face.
"What? Tell me again? Eighth Route Army? Are you kidding me?"
On the other end of the phone was the forward observation post of the 42nd Division. A regimental commander shook the dirt while holding the microphone away from his ears, as if the sound of the enemy's shells was not as loud as the voice of his own commander.
"How long has it been since this happened? I have no intention of joking with you!"
"Two parachuting pilots just landed on our regiment's position. They said they were from the Eighth Route Army."
"Right now, my guard platoon is escorting them to your command post. If you have any questions, you can ask them yourself later. I'll hang up first, the Japanese are about to attack again!"
Ten minutes later, the two instructors from the aviation school were escorted to the command post of the Ninth Army by more than a dozen soldiers.
Facing these pilots who came for reinforcements, Commander Pei took the initiative to salute, and then said eagerly:
"Brothers, thank you for your hard work! I, Mr. Pei, swear to God that I will send you back to the 129th Division after the battle is over. As long as I am still breathing, you will be the honored guests of our army!"
"Come here! Get two pieces of clothes! Why don't you have any sharp eyesight? Didn't you see that people are sweating!"
The thermal insulation effect of the flight suit is excellent, but it is naturally a bit redundant when you come down from the sky. The two instructors took the civilian clothes handed over by the guard and then came to the map.
"Commander Pei, our Air Division is about to launch an attack on the Japanese ground forces. There is a high probability that we can deal with some of the Japanese heavy artillery and armored forces."
"I hope your department can cooperate appropriately to dampen the enemy's spirit."
After hearing the words "Kong Yishi", Pei Changhui's eyes widened. It was precisely because he had a certain understanding of the Eighth Route Army that he found this matter very dreamy.
It's not too outrageous to take out a division of the Air Force out of nowhere.
"Okay! Don't worry! Although the Ninth Army is not a direct force, my brothers are not just for free!"
"Send my order! Chapters 47, 54 and new chapters"
Before he finished speaking, there were bursts of explosions in the distance. At the same time, the Japanese heavy artillery also misfired.
·····
Licking the floor is a profound knowledge.
The prerequisite for all this is that one's own side has obtained air superiority. The dead ghost Reizo Ishida has taught everyone a vivid lesson with his own fate.
Under normal circumstances, air forces will select targets for bombing based on reconnaissance intelligence.
These targets are generally deep within the enemy and include important facilities such as heavy artillery positions, supply centers, and air force bases. The purpose of combat is to eliminate the enemy's effective strength and also to reduce morale.
When the soldiers of the 1st Air Division came to the sky above the Japanese 35th Division, Captain Wang Hai saw the panic of the Japanese.
Anyone who knows that hundreds of aircraft on their own side have been shot down one by one by unfamiliar enemies will find it difficult to remain calm.
What's more, they know their own affairs well. The two divisions attacking the Zhongtiao Shandong Front carried almost no anti-aircraft weapons. After all, in the minds of the Japanese, how could the preserved fruit defenders have planes?
Instead of carrying those bulky anti-aircraft guns, it is better to carry more artillery shells. Even if the anti-aircraft guns can be leveled, they are not as powerful as howitzers or mountain cannons.
It's a pity that Captain Wang Hai didn't know these things. In his mind, the Japanese field air defense threat was not low.
The Japanese ground air defense forces not only have small-caliber anti-aircraft guns such as the 96-type cannon and the 98-type, but also two large guns, the Taisho 11-year-old 75mm and the Taisho 14-year-old 105mm.
If you memorize some, you can even encounter the Type 99 88mm anti-aircraft gun and the Type 1 37mm anti-aircraft gun that are imitations of Santoku.
For safety reasons, Captain Wang Hai decided to test the anti-aircraft firepower of the 35th Division by himself.
From the Japs' perspective, an unfamiliar monoplane fighter began to dive. Without overall command, several Type 92 heavy machine guns fought independently and started shooting into the sky.
A squad leader pulled out his command knife. He had a bandage with the words "Victory" written on his forehead and kept urging his soldiers to carry out his orders with a frantic look on his face.
"Left 35 degrees! An enemy plane! Flying towards our army! Shoot in the air!"
"Baga! Get the ammunition quickly!"
The bullet plate of the Type 92 heavy machine gun is too short, and it is impossible to fire continuously during air defense. In addition, Showa's air defense relied entirely on roaring, and this meager firepower could not affect Captain Wang Hai at all.
The Spitfire maneuvers very gracefully in the air, like a nimble war eagle.
It used red sun rockets to eliminate an artillery position while avoiding the fire net that posed no threat.
In order to confirm once again that the enemy really did not have any reliable anti-aircraft weapons, he fired at the crowd with western artillery and aircraft machine guns at the moment he finished his dive.
Six tongues of fire passed through the crowd of Japs like long whips, and blood mist splattered and broken flesh flew everywhere.
This ferocious scene immediately shut up the little boy who was still howling like ghosts. They didn't even take the chance to counterattack, allowing the Spitfires to easily leave the battlefield.
After finishing a ground attack, Captain Wang Hai returned to the formation. He picked up the communicator and said:
"No anti-aircraft weapons have been found so far. The fighters are spreading out to guard against possible enemy reinforcements."
"All hurricanes are allowed to carry out free raiding missions, and the use of shallow dive strikes is authorized. I will give you five minutes, remember to save half of the aerial bombs and machine gun bullets."
Ground attack missions are divided into two categories. The first is to carry out wave bombing of established targets. The targets of this combat mission are mainly aimed at the enemy's artillery and reserve forces.
The other type is the free raid mission that Captain Wang Hai just mentioned. This mission targets all targets that hinder one's combat operations. In other words, whatever is a threat will be attacked.
Shallow dive impact is an attack method used when the enemy's air defense is not strong.
The dive usually starts at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 meters, and the angle is generally 50 to 20 degrees. In this mode, the bomb can also be released at the lowest possible height, all to ensure the hit rate.
Under the destruction of dozens of Hurricane fighter jets in turn, the artillery positions of the 35th Division were in a mess, and even several precious 105mm heavy artillery were destroyed.
After a while, division commander Harada Yukichi received the damage report. The old devil's eyes were filled with rage, and he almost gritted his teeth.
"Send a telegram to Lord Neiji Okamura! Tell him that the 35th Division suffered an enemy air attack! Almost all the large-caliber heavy artillery was lost."
"Requesting fighter support! Otherwise, it will be difficult to conquer the eastern front of Zhongtiao Mountain!"
"When the enemy gets reinforcements, all the previous arrangements will be over!"
·····
Zhongtiao Shandong Line, the Fourth Independent Cavalry Brigade.
At this time, Hua Gu was very depressed, without any trace of the energy he had before departure. He led his troops to hang far behind the two divisions, and set off later than Army Aviation.
Although the road from Xinxiang to Jiyuan is very suitable for cavalry, now it is a large-scale battle, and the cavalry is no different from a living target when it rushes forward.
Their brigade had to wait for the two divisions to defeat the enemy's defense line head-on, and then it would be time to harvest.
The advantage is of course safety. There is no need to go to the frontal battlefield and there are fewer accidents. Moreover, he is definitely indispensable for the victory. It's a pity that the front-line troops can't directly participate in the battle, which is more or less boring.
Suddenly, there was a buzzing sound in the distant sky.
As an old Japanese with rich combat experience, Hanatani immediately realized one thing. A large number of aircraft were approaching the position of the Fourth Independent Cavalry Brigade.
He looked at the watch on his wrist in confusion, and then called the correspondent.
"Has there been any news from the front line? Why did the Army Air Force come back so quickly? It's only been half an hour. Their speed must be too fast."
After thinking for a moment, Hua Gu raised the telescope in his hand and looked towards the sky. I saw nearly a hundred aircraft of various types flying in from a distance in an offensive formation.
Although he didn't recognize those planes, he knew they were definitely not his own.
After all, both the North China Front Army and the Kwantung Army that came to support had already eliminated biplanes.
Just when he was about to give the order, the signal trooper came running from a distance. This man looked panicked, and he knew something big was going on.
"Your Excellency Major General! Oh no! The three flying squadrons are almost completely wiped out! The planes of the Republic of China troops are flying towards us."
"Baga! It's an enemy plane!"
"Why didn't you notify us of such an important matter in advance! Get out of here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, all the Japs subconsciously looked up. The unfamiliar aircraft had already begun to lower their altitude and pounced on their position.
"Spread out, spread out! All soldiers evacuate!"
"Enemy plane! Enemy plane!"
Hua Gu was heartbreakingly reminding the people around him that he had no time to think about why the Republic of China still had planes to support Zhongtiao Mountain.
On plain terrain, there is no shelter. Even if the troop formation is relatively dispersed, the casualties faced by the enemy aircraft fleet will not be small.
The soldiers of the 4th Independent Cavalry Brigade reacted instantly, and everyone looked for hiding places such as rock walls and hillsides. Some Japanese soldiers even gave up their horses and ran away on their own.
Although they had trained on how to deal with airplanes, this was an open terrain, not to mention the burden of horses underneath them.
At this moment, both biplane and monoplane fighters began to dive. This scene caused Hua Guzheng's expression to change drastically, and he hurriedly controlled his horse to avoid it.
A sharp whistling sound sounded, followed by overwhelming aerial bombs.
"Boom boom boom!"
The bomb fell in the queue of the 4th Independent Cavalry Brigade, sending huge shock waves and shrapnel flying around starting from the center of the explosion.
The nearby Japanese soldiers fell down in pieces in an instant, and the pieces of meat, horse corpses and stones were violently lifted up, and then melted in the air.
The ground was shaking under the aerial bombs.
Most of the Japanese soldiers gave up their war horses and threw away their weapons. They only regretted that their parents did not give them an extra leg.
But even if you can dodge aerial bombs, you can't dodge cannons and aircraft machine guns. In less than five minutes, thousands of Japanese were killed in the air raid.
The fighter jets of the First Air Division flew past and flew towards Xinxiang without looking back, leaving only stumps on the ground.
Five minutes later, Hua Gu was being dug out of a ruin by his adjutant. Looking at the battlefield in front of him, he was stunned.
"Tell me now, none of this is true!"
After a few roars, the old devil prepared to stand up with his hands on the ground. But a desperate reality made him almost faint. His legs were broken.
"Ah! My legs!"
Come on, it’s so hard to write.
(End of chapter)
