All fighter planes are on standby!
All ground staff and crew members are in a state of readiness to fully support the aircraft's takeoff.
Zhou Zhirou held two red flags and personally acted as the takeoff commander in front.
There are rows of bonfires burning on both sides of the runway, which are red and dazzling in the heavy fog.
All the planes were hung with angry lanterns, and the lights were adjusted to maximum to ensure that they could be lit all the way to Shanghai.
So everything is ready.
All personnel are in place.
Zhou Zhihan was in the lead, the bombers followed, and the fighter jets were the last to hold the line.
As deputy commander-in-chief, Mao Bangchu also personally flew to Shanghai to supervise the battle.
This battle is related to the confidence of all the soldiers in the Anti-Japanese War and the trend of the entire Songhu Battle.
At this moment, the Chinese Air Force is united.
In the past, there had always been dissatisfaction between Mao Bangchu and Zhou Zhirou. Now, for the sake of national justice, the two put aside all grudges and prepared for war with all their strength. They must use the Chinese Air Force to kick open the defense door established by the Japanese Marine Corps in Shanghai.
Let the Japanese establish the Marine Corps Headquarters in Shanghai, China, and let their Third Fleet show off its power on the Huangpu River for many years. This has been China's shame for many years!
There is no room for failure in this battle!
This is a bloody battle of shame!
Zhou Zhihan still flew the Boeing 281 fighter plane and took off first!
Then all the bombers took off one after another.
Next, the Hawker 3 fighter jet, the British Fighter fighter, followed closely and took off in an orderly manner.
Finally, the one who took off behind was Mao Bangchu, deputy commander-in-chief of the Chinese Air Force. For this bloody and shameful battle, the Chinese Air Force put all its wealth on the line.
All air force pilots know the gap between them and the Japanese air force, but everyone has high morale and dares to show their swords when facing powerful enemies!
All fighter planes took off smoothly.
After taking off, the distance and altitude between the fighter planes were maintained very well, and the speed was uniform. They flew towards Shanghai in a complete flying formation, leaving dazzling lanterns in the sky.
On August 14, 1937, after 12 o'clock in the morning, the sound of artillery and gunfire from the Chinese and Japanese positions became sparse.
After a day of tug-of-war in heavy wind and rain, both sides were exhausted, and both the offensive and defensive troops needed to take a breather.
But Sun Yuanliang's 88th Division and Wang Jingjiu's 87th Division would never let the Japanese breathe.
The Japanese defenses were too strong. The 88th Division and the 87th Division paid a heavy price in many strong attacks, and the soldiers suffered heavy casualties.
Since the Japanese relied on strong fortifications to huddle up for defense at night, this was extremely detrimental to the troops attacking at night.
Sun Yuanliang and Wang Jingjiu ordered the troops who attacked during the day to retreat, rest in place, and replenish ammunition. At the same time, they sent another group of troops to attack the Japanese army, using the tactics of a tired enemy division.
The Japanese must not be given a chance to breathe!
The attack started on the morning of the 13th, and by 12 o'clock on the night of the 13th, the two divisions had suffered more than 800 casualties, but the results achieved were very little.
The title of Japan's world's best army is indeed not a deserved one. They fought rigorously, cooperated closely, and fought fiercely and tenaciously. They disrupted the national army's attacks again and again. In front of their defensive positions, the national army suffered heavy casualties.
The rain during the day made the ground wet. In many places, puddles were filled with water and stained red with blood. The battlefield was full of M35 helmets of the Chinese army and Type 90 helmets of the Japanese army. There were artillery craters and bullet holes everywhere. There are still fires burning everywhere and thick smoke billowing.
The thick fog at night was filled with the smell of blood and killing.
Although it was already late at night, there were still people escaping from Shanghai with their young and old in tow. No one knew whether the national army could hold Shanghai. Leaving early might be the best choice.
During the war, the people who suffered the most were the people!
At 12:40 in the morning on August 14, 1937, the 88th Division, the 87th Division, and the 20th Independent Brigade suddenly launched a fierce artillery bombardment on all Japanese positions. The two divisions plus an independent brigade totaled more than 40,000 people. , and at the same time launched a fierce attack on the Japanese strongholds everywhere.
For a time, the entire Shanghai was enveloped in the sound of artillery and gunfire. The entire land seemed to be falling, and the sky above Shanghai was lit up by artillery fire from both sides.
The fog was getting thicker at this time.
The artillery fire from both sides attacked each other in various flight trajectories in the air, rubbing against the heavy fog in Shanghai, making all uncertain factors infinitely larger.
The artillery fire from the 88th and 87th Divisions continued for more than an hour, and then gradually subsided.
At 12:50 in the morning on the 14th, when the fierce artillery battle between the two sides was at its peak, Zhou Zhihan led more than 100 fighter jets and flew secretly over Hongqiao Airport.
At this time, as the artillery fire from both sides continued to fly all over the sky for more than an hour, the heavy fog over Shanghai was reduced a lot by the hot artillery fire, and the fighter plane landed smoothly and secretly.
Prior to this, Lieutenant Colonel Sun Yuanliang, commander of the 88th Division, had long ordered Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan to lead a regiment to defend Hongqiao Airport.
After arriving at Hongqiao Airport, Xie Jinyuan personally sent a security company to serve as a security guard around the Hongqiao Airport. No other people were allowed to enter within five kilometers.
At this time, artillery fire is raging and the two sides are fighting fiercely. If anyone appears around Hongqiao Airport at this time, it is nine out of ten that they are enemy agents. Once discovered, they must be arrested. If there is resistance, they will be killed immediately.
Hongqiao Airport was previously a Chinese military airport. Since the September 18 Fengtian Incident, due to the signing of the armistice agreement, Hongqiao Airport has not allowed Chinese Air Force fighters to be stationed. Only passenger planes are allowed to take off and land in the huge airport, which is located in the west.
After receiving the order, Xie Jinyuan presided over the vacating work inside Hongqiao Airport, freeing up a large landing strip for the incoming Chinese Air Force, which can land more than a dozen aircraft at the same time, and deployed anti-aircraft artillery around the airport to prevent Unexpected.
The Japanese are so sophisticated.
They pay attention to the movements of Hongqiao Airport all the time. Once they discover that there are Chinese military planes stationed at Hongqiao Airport, they will definitely send spies and traitors to come and cause trouble.
The greatest threat to Hongqiao Airport is the Japanese Third Fleet on the Huangpu River. They have several Type 95 water reconnaissance aircraft and Type 95 water attack aircraft.
The Japanese did not send planes to participate in the war today because they could not take off due to heavy wind and rain.
Strong winds and heavy rain made it more difficult for planes to take off on the water.
Another important reason is that the Japanese army's defenses were strong, and the attacks of the 88th and 87th Division did not cause any damage to the Japanese army.
However, if the Japanese army knew that Chinese military aircraft were stationed at Hongqiao Airport, they would definitely take risks and send water attack aircraft and water reconnaissance aircraft to bomb.
Moreover, the ground attack weapons on the flagship of the Japanese Third Fleet [Izumo] have a long range, which makes Xie Jinyuan very afraid.
When all the planes landed safely and were properly camouflaged, Xie Jinyuan came to greet Mao Bangchu and all the pilots.
According to the order of Air Force Commander-in-Chief Zhou Zhirou, all pilots arriving at Hongqiao Airport are not allowed to leave Hongqiao Airport.
This is also for confidentiality.
Xie Jinyuan arranged rest rooms for all pilots inside the airport.
The pilots spent a lot of time flying at night, so Xie Jinyuan specially arranged for the cooks to deliver night meals.
Zhou Zhihan met Xie Jinyuan, the anti-Japanese hero colonel leader, for the first time! (Currently, Xie Jinyuan is still a lieutenant colonel)
At this time, Xie Jinyuan served as the chief of staff of the 262nd Brigade of the 88th Army Division and concurrently served as the deputy commander of the 524th Regiment.
Today, the 524th Regiment participated in the Baziqiao attack. At ten o'clock in the night, it received an order to bring all heavy weapons and stationed to defend Hongqiao Airport.
The leader of the 524th Regiment went to the division headquarters for a meeting, so the important responsibility of Hongqiao Airport was handed over to Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan.
Xie Jinyuan can definitely be called a Confucian general. He has a dignified appearance, with a heroic and scholarly temperament between his eyebrows. He is in his thirties, tall and tall, with a handsome face. He is an alumnus of the Whampoa Military Academy with Mao Bangchu.
Mao Bangchu is a graduate of the third batch of Whampoa Military Academy, and Xie Jinyuan is a graduate of the fourth batch of Whampoa Military Academy. The two had a good relationship while they were at Whampoa Military Academy. Xie Jinyuan always called Mao Bangchu his senior.
Therefore, Sun Yuanliang handed over the important task of guarding Hongqiao Airport to Xie Jinyuan.
Xie Jinyuan heard in the afternoon that a top student who graduated from the Randolph Air Force Academy forced to take off a Heinkel He111 A medium bomber in the heavy wind and rain today. It attacked the airstrip built by the Japanese army at the Open University Cotton Factory and destroyed four 95 aircraft. Type 96 ground attack aircraft and two Type 96 ground attack aircraft lifted the sword hanging over the heads of the 88th Division, the 87th Division, and the 20th Independent Brigade. This attack had brilliant results and was praised by the Air Force Commander-in-Chief Zhou Zhi. Rou personally reported the results to Nanjing.
I heard that the old man wanted to reward him personally.
"Sir!"
Zhou Zhihan gave Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan a military salute.
"This must be the top student who came back from the U.S. Air Force Academy!" Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan replied, "Today, you piloted bombers to achieve the first victory in the Battle of Songhu, which greatly encouraged the 88th Division, the 87th Division and the 20th Independent Division. The fighting spirit of the brigade brothers, your name has resounded throughout Shanghai!"
