It was 6:35 in the morning on August 14, 1937.
Medium to light fog.
The whole of Shanghai seemed to be covered with a veil.
"rou..."
Two Heinkel He111 A medium bombers and two Chance Voight O3U-2 reconnaissance aircraft of the 35th Squadron took the lead in launching an attack on the Japanese armory at the Open University Cotton Mill.
"boom!"
The bombs roared and fell on the Japanese positions, leaving craters one after another.
The 8.14 air battle begins!
"Boom boom..."
Immediately, the Japanese artillery fire on the ground launched a fierce counterattack.
At this time, the heavy fog in Shanghai has not completely dispersed. Looking around, the surroundings are still hazy, and the entire Shanghai is still shrouded in a light veil.
Seeing the Chinese Air Force coming to help, the morale of the soldiers of the 88th and 87th Divisions was greatly boosted, and they also launched a fierce attack on the Japanese positions.
For a time, there were the sounds of falling shells, bombings, machine guns, rifles, and the explosion of grenades.
After a day of fighting yesterday, the Chinese army gained little. Today, the air force came to help. The Chinese soldiers, holding back a sense of cowardice, were determined to capture the Japanese positions.
Several escorting Boeing 281 fighter jets used their speed and fuselage agility to launch dive attacks on the enemy's peripheral air defense positions. The battle was so fierce that the little devils guarding the munitions depot kept calling and requesting air support. The headquarters sent troops for reinforcements.
After receiving a request for help from the Marine Corps defending the armory, the Japanese Marine Corps headquarters stationed on North Sichuan Road was shocked. Did the Chinese plane emerge from the ground?
So General Kawatani Changqing ordered the Type 95 water reconnaissance aircraft staying on the Huangpu River to take off immediately and go to support the military supplies depot.
The Japanese army built too many defensive positions in Shanghai, which looked very scattered. In fact, these defensive positions echoed each other. When the fighting in one place became tense, other strongholds would soon send troops for reinforcements. The cooperation between them was quite tacit. .
As the fighting continued to rage and the Japanese strongholds adjusted their forces to support the munitions depot at the Gongda Cotton Mill, 7 Heinkel He111 A medium bombers and 8 Hawker 2 and 3 Fighter fighters began to attack the Japanese navy and ground forces. The headquarters of the team and the surrounding garrison.
The Japanese believed at this time that the Chinese Air Force's attack on the munitions depot was just a feint, and that the real target of the attack was the Marine Corps headquarters on North Sichuan Road.
So the Japanese warships staying on the Huangpu River began to fire fiercely at the positions of the 88th Division and the 87th Division.
The cruiser "Sichuanchi" carried out artillery attacks on the Shanghai Municipal Government to attract the strength of the Chinese army.
It was 6:45 in the morning on August 14, 1937.
The second group of the Chinese Air Force, bomber gunner Ren Yunge of the 11th Squadron, has a spring connected to the butt of a 20mm cannon in front of him. It is shaking slightly with the air turbulence generated when the bomber avoids ground fire.
Yesterday, Ren Yunge concealed his marriage and participated in the raid on the Japanese airstrip at the Gongda Cotton Mill. He was established as a grand duke. He was eager to fight and went to war again today.
Although today's mission of bombing the Izumo was more dangerous, and although the mortality rate of the tail gunner was the highest, Captain Zhou led the Hawker 3 and Fighter fighters to escort the bomber. He felt safe and at ease.
"boom……"
The sound of Sweden's Bofors M1929 75mm anti-aircraft gun could be heard in the distance.
This kind of gun is so powerful that any aircraft hit will be destroyed.
This was the core of the Chinese army during World War II, and it was the main anti-aircraft weapon.
"Da da da……"
This is the sound of the German-made Type 38 20mm four-barreled 450-round heavy-duty anti-aircraft cannon imported by China from Germany. It sounds like it should be several cannon positions lined up, not far from here.
Although this kind of anti-aircraft machine gun is not as powerful as the anti-aircraft anti-aircraft gun, its advantage is that it has a fast and fierce rate of fire. It can quickly deploy a dense firepower network in 360 degrees to hit incoming enemy aircraft in the air.
China's anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns were firing on all cylinders, and there must be Japanese fighter jets in the sky.
If the Chinese Air Force can take off in heavy fog, the Japanese Army will definitely find ways to take off.
"Woo————"
Lieutenant Zhu Hong, who was flying the He111 A medium bomber, turned on the dive device, and the fighter jet made a harsh sound.
The air was filled with thick smoke, and there was a strong smell of blood.
Suddenly, Ren Yunge felt the Heinkel He111 A medium bomber jolt violently several times, and then he felt that he was a small boat in the furious sea and would be submerged at any time.
This is the violent shaking caused by the shock wave of the artillery fire when the aircraft is avoiding ground artillery fire.
"Long sky 214, long sky 214, I am Falcon 903, I am Falcon 903."
This is the voice of Air Force Lieutenant Zhu Hongxin, whose aerial nickname is Falcon.
Another voice sounded in Ren Yunge's ears, mixed with the noise of the radio waves: "Changkong received it, Changkong received it."
This was the voice of Air Force Captain Zhou Zhihan, which immediately made Ren Yunge feel at ease.
With Captain Zhou in the air as an escort, all the bombers felt that their safety had increased to more than one level.
"There are three Japanese Type 96 carrier-based aircraft approaching behind me. In the sky, you cover me from the flanks. I must blow up this ruthless ship [Izumo]."
"Changkong understands, Changkong understands!"
Zhou Zhihan replied, "Falcon, you only need to attack with all your strength and kill the [Izumo]. The remaining Type 96 carrier-based aircraft will be handed over to me!"
Zhou Zhihan said that the Hawker 3 fighter plane emerged from the light fog, accelerated and dived towards the three Type 96 carrier-based aircraft that were preparing to intercept the No. 903 bomber.
Last night, he took off from Hongqiao Airport to Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport. He changed into a Hawker 3 fighter jet with communication equipment and the number 214 on the fuselage.
At 5:30 in the morning, both Hangzhou and Shanghai were still shrouded in heavy fog. Zhou Zhihan took off first in the heavy fog. He still used the air-dead wind lantern to navigate and led the 32 interceptors of the Fourth Group to fly to Shanghai.
This time, the Fourth Brigade was led by Captain Ren Zhihang, and Zhou Zhihan's task was to lead the Fourth Brigade to take off in foggy weather and head to Shanghai.
When Ren Zhihang led 32 interceptors to fly to Jinshan Guard, he heard the sound of fierce fighting coming from the direction of downtown Shanghai.
When the interceptor plane flew over Fengxian, the Chinese scouts responsible for monitoring the Japanese aircraft carrier sent news that a large number of Japanese military aircraft also took off from the aircraft carrier and flew towards downtown Shanghai. There were about 22 Type 96 carrier-based aircraft, 18 A Type 95 shipboard attack aircraft.
At the same time, Japan's Type 95 reconnaissance aircraft of the Third Fleet stationed on the Huangpu River also took off from the water to intercept a large number of Chinese bombers that suddenly appeared over the Huangpu River. Soon, they competed with the Chinese escorting Boeing 281 fighter jets and Hawker 2 fighter jets tangled together.
All the camouflage on the Japanese warship was removed within ten seconds, and the sailors were in position, ready to attack the large number of Chinese military aircraft flying in from a distance.
The destroyer planes that took off from Hangzhou Jianqiao arrived in time, arriving over the Huangpu River almost at the same time as the dozens of carrier-based aircraft that took off from the Japanese aircraft carriers "Ryujo" and "Kaga".
Suddenly, the Huangpu River was filled with murderous intent.
A Type 96 carrier-based aircraft marked with the number 107 on its fuselage. Seeing the Hawker 3 fighter jet swooping down from a high altitude, a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He pressed the right stick, right rudder, Type 96 carrier-based aircraft The plane made a beautiful right turn and headed towards the Chinese fighter jet marked with the number 214. He reported to Yamashita Shichiro, the captain of the second detachment of the 13th Air Force of the Imperial Navy: "Captain Yamashita, leave this Chinese plane to me. Got it!"
Captain Yamashita Shichiro said proudly: "Miura-kun, after quickly killing this Chinese plane, follow us. Together, we can encircle and suppress the Chinese bombers in front of us."
"Understood!" the Japanese pilot known as Miura-kun chuckled, "I will kill this 214 aircraft soon."
