Just when Zhou Zhihan used the Hoover swing maneuver to shoot down the enemy plane——
"Does any of you know the name of this Chinese pilot?"
Marshal Zhukov asked bomber pilot Tishhenkov and rear gunner Nevsky.
Zhukov only knew that the pilot flying Spitfire No. 214 was from China, and did not know Zhou Zhihan's name.
Both Zishenkov and Nevsky shook their heads. They did not know the name of the pilot flying Spitfire 214.
Before taking off from Leningrad, they only knew that General Gromagin would send fighter planes to escort them. They did not know who the commander of the escort was. They only learned not long ago that today’s commander was Colonel Zhou from China, flying a 214 No. Breathing fire.
Since it was Marshal Zhukov who was to be taken back, General Gromagin maintained absolute confidentiality before this operation. Neither the protector nor the protected knew about each other. Zhou Zhihan only found out after arriving at the designated place that they were escorting the big shot today. Zhukov commanded the defense of Moscow.
Nevsky held the machine gun tightly with both hands, staring at the Messerschmitt behind him that was getting closer and closer. He first fired a burst to prevent the opponent from getting closer. He knew clearly that the opponent wanted to waste his ammunition, but there was nothing he could do about it. .
If you don't fire first, it will bully you.
Watching Messerschmitt roll to avoid his own shot, Nevsky became even more nervous. In order to relieve his inner uneasiness, he blurted out: "If Colonel Zhou from China hadn't participated in the escort today, Maybe we won’t be able to fly here.”
Zhukov nodded and looked at Spitfire No. 214, who was flying like an eagle among pigeons: "No matter who this person is, we must keep him in the Soviet Union. Our Air Force is now at its lowest period. Compared with the technical and tactical skills of pilots, There is still a gap among German pilots, and figures like him are needed to boost military morale and lead everyone out of the trough."
When Zhukov said this, he did not open the phone call, but only said it to the pilot and gunner. At this time, the two people were under great pressure, and Zhukov also wanted to use conversation to relieve the pressure on them.
"This Chinese Colonel Zhou is one of the best pilots I have ever seen. He has the talent of a general and extraordinary courage."
Shenkov, who was flying the Red Star No. 9 bomber, was secretly surprised. He glanced at Marshal Zhukov out of the corner of his eye. He did not dare to say that the pilot flying the No. 214 Spitfire was the best pilot he had ever seen, bar none.
Marshal Zhukov actually admitted that the combat effectiveness of the Soviet Air Force was not as good as that of the Germans, which he found incredible.
For now, although all Soviet pilots secretly admit that the Soviet Union is far inferior to Germany in terms of both the quality of the aircraft and the quality of the pilots, no one dares to say it publicly.
Because what the military is currently promoting is the heroic feats of the Soviet Air Force. The pilots of the Soviet Air Force are braver and better than the German pilots, so as to encourage young people to join the Air Force.
No pilot dares to tell the truth in public. He will be sent to a military court for shaking military morale. If he is on the front line, he may be shot directly.
Otherwise, there would not have been that heart-wrenching Great Qing Dynasty.
Kremlin.
Stalin kept smoking cigarettes, and several other marshals and generals also smoked silently. Everyone was looking at General Gromagin standing next to the telephone.
After receiving the news that all the capable fighters of the Sixth Fighter Force had taken off to attack the German airports and ground forces stationed near Moscow to contain the German Air Force's JG51 and JG52 wings, General Gromagin relaxed slightly. Tone, now it depends on whether Zhou Zhihan can lead the fleet to break through the layers of interception by the Luftwaffe and rendezvous with the Soviet fighters who came to respond.
There has been no news since receiving the news from Zhou Zhihan. This means that Zhou Zhihan and the others are in a fierce battle with the German Air Force and do not even have time to report. However, this also means that Comrade Zhukov is still safe for now.
Suddenly, Stalin asked General Gromagin: "Does the Spitfire that went to escort Comrade Zhukov's bomber this time have any advantage over the German Messerschmitt?"
"These two fighter jets have their own advantages in terms of performance. The Messerschmitt is very good in diving attacks, and the Spitfire has a slightly higher dogfighting ability. In general, these two fighter jets are equally matched, Comrade Stalin!" The moment General Gromagin's eyes met Stalin's, he suddenly discovered that Stalin's face was wrinkled and haggard and haggard. He had not seen him for a day or two, so he said, "Please go and rest for a while. Marshal Zhukov is there." I will report the news to you immediately."
Stalin shook his head, stood up and paced back and forth in the room, raising the pipe in his hand: "As long as it can keep up, I won't be sleepy."
Everyone smiled when they heard this.
Stalin said and picked up the resume of Zhou Zhihan that Gromagin had just given him: "This colonel from China is a thorn in the side of the German Air Force, and a thorn in the throat of Japanese pilots.
After Comrade Zhukov returns safely, I will personally meet Colonel Zhou and ask him to talk about how these foreign fighter jets compare with our Yake and Lager. "
Stalin continued: "But before that, I would like to hear Comrade Gromagin's evaluation of Japanese fighter jets."
Stalin said this, and General Gromagin and others immediately understood what Stalin meant.
Under the powerful German offensive, the Soviet army suffered successive defeats and was in urgent need of a strong new force to bring confidence and courage to the defeated troops.
At this time, the Soviet Union had a powerful force that remained stationary.
This force is an elite force stationed in the Far East.
Since Japan was a member of the Axis Powers and adjacent to the Far East region of the Soviet Union, Japan's attitude towards the Soviet-German war directly determined whether the Soviet Union would fall into a two-front war.
At the same time, there has been endless debate in the Soviet Union as to whether Japan should attack the north or the south.
Taking into account Japan's national policy and its relationship with Germany, the Soviet Union had to deploy a considerable portion of its troops in the Far East to respond to possible Japanese attacks at any time.
In the Soviet Union, some people believed that Japan would not rashly become an enemy of the powerful Soviet Union.
Because at this time, nearly half of Japan's troops were deeply involved in China's anti-Japanese quagmire, and another part of its troops were fighting almost throughout Asia. At the same time, it also had to deal with the British forces in Burma. Considering these aspects, the Japanese would not launch an attack on the Soviet Union. attack.
In other words, the Japanese did not have the strength to provoke the Soviet Union while invading Asia at this time. The Japanese stationed troops on the border were just a pretense to contain the Soviet Union and gain greater military superiority for Germany in the region.
Some senior Soviet military officials believed that Japan's Kwantung Army and the Soviet Far East armies had a long-standing feud. Considering that Japan was an ally of Germany, it was not ruled out that the Japanese would stab the Soviet Union in the back at a critical moment and indirectly help it. An ally.
Because if the Soviet Union is quickly conquered by Germany, then Hitler will quickly free up his hands and return to cross the Gili Strait to attack London again. In this way, Britain's strength in Burma will be greatly reduced, and the Japanese will take the opportunity to drive out the British army. Myanmar.
Facing the conclusions of the two groups in the army, Stalin was also wavering and unable to make a decision.
At this time, Moscow was in dire straits.
If the Far Eastern troops can be mobilized for reinforcements, the arrival of this new force can contain the Germans' unstoppable advance and give Moscow a breathing space to redeploy its troops.
but,
What if the Japanese suddenly launched an attack while the Far Eastern troops were rushing towards Moscow?
If that were the case, the Soviet Union would be doomed.
Stalin asked General Gromagin what he said is very obvious, that is, if the ground force of our Far East Army is not moving, can we use the air force?
General Gromagin thought for a few seconds.
At this moment, which could decide the fate of the Soviet Union, anyone would be cautious.
"There is no doubt that for now, the Messerschmitt, Spitfire, and Hurricane fighter jets are all excellent. As an air force commander, I can honestly say that the above-mentioned fighter jets are better than any fighter jets in our country at the moment. ." General Gromagin spoke slowly to prevent himself from making any language mistakes, "In the early 1940s, the German Air Force once donated several Messerschmitts to Japan, but after Japanese test pilots flew this fighter , the Japanese military gave up introducing this fighter aircraft from Germany because Japan's new fighter aircraft A6M1 had been developed at that time.
It can be judged from this that the performance of the A6M1 is at least equivalent to that of the Messerschmitt. Otherwise, with the eagerness of the Japanese, they would not be able to abandon the Messerschmitt. "
Stalin puffed on his cigarette one after another, his thick eyebrows frowning again.
Comrade Gromagin made it very clear that the performance of the Zero fighter is also superior to that of the Soviet fighter. The reason why he asked this question was that he wanted to transfer half of the fighter jets stationed in the Far East back to guard the skies above Moscow.
If the performance of Soviet fighter jets is equivalent to that of Japanese fighter jets, then half of the fighter jets will be sent back to defend Moscow. Even if the Japanese launch a brazen attack on the Soviet Union, the Soviet fighter jets in the Far East can withstand it for a while.
The victory in the Battle of London was due to the Spitfire and Hurricane in the sky over London, as well as the bloody fighting of British pilots.
The Soviet Air Force has a bloody spirit, but war cannot be won only by a bloody spirit. Weapons, timing, location, and people are all factors that determine the outcome.
The Soviet Union did not lack hot-blooded warriors, but it lacked fighter jets that could rival the Germans in the air.
General Gromagin continued.
"Of course, it is one-sided to compare the performance of the two fighters based on data alone, because the data will be false. Only after the two fighters compete can we draw a conclusion on which one is better."
"As far as I know, there is only one pilot in the world who has flown Spitfire, Hurricane, Messerschmitt, A6M1, I-16, I-153, Mustang, P40, etc."
Stalin looked at General Gromagin with bright eyes.
Everyone was also wondering who could actually fly fighter jets from five countries.
"If you want to know the advantages and disadvantages between the Messerschmitt, Spitfire, Hurricane, I-16 and M6A1, just ask Comrade Zhou Zhihan, a colonel from the Chinese Air Force. In this world, he is the only one who has ever flown one of the above. Several fighter jets.”
suddenly!
"Oh!"
Two hundred kilometers away from Moscow, Zhou Zhihan, who was driving the Spitfire No. 214 directly towards the Red Star No. 9, sneezed and instantly felt a tremor all over his body.
At this moment, he remembered the pilot who flew the Mei-class aircraft with the serial number Wk-Nr.
Zhou Zhihan couldn't help but take a breath of air...
It turned out to be him.
This person once visited Shanghai during the Songhu Battle in 1937.
