The Japanese made a careful plan before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but there are always flaws in any plan.
In Harada Minoru's plan, the most important link, the bombing of the oil depot at Pearl Harbor, was placed at the end of the first wave of attacks.
Harada Minoru, who had never flown a fighter plane, believed that when the imperial fighter planes destroyed all the defenses and all large ships in Pearl Harbor, the other lifeline of Pearl Harbor, the fuel depot, could only be a lamb to be slaughtered, like a holiday fireworks. , stay at the end, the sky is gorgeous.
Harada Minoru and Yamamoto Isoroku ignored one of the most important factors, which was that after the Japanese army launched the raid, the entire sky above Pearl Harbor was filled with black smoke. It was difficult for Japanese fighter planes flying in the sky to find the specific location of the oil depot.
It should be said that success or failure is a failure. The Japanese's sneak attack was a huge success, thanks to Harada Minoru's precise plan, but it was also his negligence that gave Zhou Zhihan time to defend the oil depot. This was also the Japanese's biggest Failure.
At this time, most of the large bombers at Wheeler Airport were destroyed on the runway. The fuel fueled the fire, and the thick smoke shot straight into the sky and spread in mid-air, completely blocking the airspace. From a distance, it looked like heavily clouded.
Kaneohe Airport and Belos Airport were also completely destroyed. Many fighter planes that were shot down before they had time to take off crashed on both sides of the runway. Thick smoke billowed, and the sky was also dyed black.
The situation at Iwa Airport and Hickam Airport is even more tragic. This is the airspace where the Japanese fighter planes turned during the first wave of attacks. All bombers passing here will drop a bomb, so these two airports are a complete hell on earth, and are surrounded by all fighter-bombers. It was bombed back and forth several times. There were plane wreckage everywhere on the ground, and thick smoke filled the sky, as if the end was coming.
Haleiwa Airport could not escape the same fate. More than a dozen B17 bombers turned into scrap metal, and the airport's watchtower fell to the ground. This watchtower may be the most useless one in the world. From the day it was built, Until he was knocked down, he never played any role in predicting the enemy.
Zhou Zhihan saw two Type 99 high-altitude horizontal bombers from a distance, flying towards the large oil depot located southwest of the Navy Commander. He immediately pulled the lever and made several jumps. Wildcat No. 214 entered the smoke-filled airspace, opened his flight helmet, and Quickly lock on to the two bombers and pounce on them.
At this time, the sky was filled with smoke and clouds. The few artillery positions of the US military in Pearl Harbor had long been destroyed. Several warships that still had defenses were suppressed and beaten by the low-flying Zero. Even the high-altitude horizontal bombers dropped to one level. The target can only be found below a kilometer.
As an important military facility, the oil depot at Pearl Harbor is very secretive and camouflaged. However, the self-righteous secrets of the Americans have long been known to Japanese spies. Based on the intelligence, the Japanese made a scale model of Pearl Harbor, including the port where the warships were anchored. , the location of the airport, the water area where the submarine is located, and the location of the oil depot, the most important target of the sneak attack, are all exactly the same.
"Mr. Shuijing, it's so dark down below. It's hard to find that oil depot!" the bomber's rear gunner Kuang Er said to the pilot Suijing. As the last two bombers to enter Pearl Harbor, they circled around in the air without catching anything. When there was a lot of oil and water, Cang Er had an idea and thought of frying the oil depot.
If it could blow up the large oil depot at Pearl Harbor, it would definitely be the first achievement.
There is no one in the world who is unwilling to make meritorious deeds. The American battleships were blown up and down, and the airport was completely destroyed. They would just eat the leftovers after dropping bombs. When they go back, they will take out the film in the camera and see who has the greater credit. Small and clear at a glance.
Moreover, after the commander of this surprise attack, Lieutenant Colonel Mizuo Fuchida, took the lead in dropping the bombs, he kept watching from a hidden corner, recording the destroyed U.S. warships and paralyzed military aircraft, and rewarded them according to their merits after returning.
Therefore, when Cang Er suggested that Shui Jing go blow up the oil depot, the two hit it off.
Seeing Shuijing flying the bomber away from the group and flying toward the southwest, the pilot of the other bomber was clever and immediately guessed what Shuijing and the others were thinking. He immediately pressed the stick and followed.
Cangji was very happy to see someone following them, which meant that there was someone covering behind them.
"Kuraji-kun, please search carefully according to the reference objects on the map. I remember that according to the model of Pearl Harbor, the large oil tank should be not far ahead."
The water well put the rod and the bomber flew out of the clouds. He widened his eyes and glanced cleverly below and said, then immediately pulled the rod and disappeared into the clouds.
Although Shuijing knew that the US air defense positions on Sunday were almost useless, he still did not dare to rashly lower the altitude of the fighter plane below 1,000 meters. He could only hide in the clouds, push the stick from time to time and then quickly pull it up, using flash to look for the oil tank. At the same time, test whether there are anti-aircraft artillery on the ground.
The clever Shuijing and Cang Er had already agreed in private that meritorious service was secondary, and the most important thing was to fly back safely.
In the Japanese army, not every Japanese soldier has the bushido spirit of disregarding death. Such people are only a small minority.
While Shuijing and Cang Er were searching for the large oil tank, the bomber behind them was also searching.
Wildcat No. 214 quietly appeared behind and above the bomber behind it. Using the cover of clouds and smoke, a blade rolled and passed through the belly of the Type 99 bomber like a ghost. It fired a burst from a long distance and then quickly pressed the lever in the opposite direction. The tracer bombs and high-explosive bombs broke away and accurately hit the 800 kilogram bomb hung by the bomber.
"boom!"
The bomber was shattered to pieces.
Hearing a deafening explosion not far behind him, Kuangji quickly turned around and saw the bomber following him explode. He was so frightened that he thought it was hit by anti-aircraft fire on the ground. He quickly shouted to pull up and escape, be careful. Anti-aircraft fire.
Immediately, the well pulled the lever and the bomber climbed high. Just as he jumped out of the clouds and saw the eastern sunshine, the well's scalp exploded randomly. A Wildcat fighter jet seemed to have calculated the path he must pass. The cold muzzle was facing him. The pilot's eyes in the cabin were like daggers, and he made a throat-slitting motion with his left hand. Then several strings of starlight flashed, spurting out from the Wildcat's muzzle and heading straight towards the belly of the bomber.
Shuijing's eyebrows were beating wildly, and he felt the fuselage shaking suddenly, and then his eyes were filled with fire. The last thing left to him in this world was a deafening explosion.
After shooting down two Type 99 bombers in succession, No. 214 Wildcat suddenly fell downwards, four tongues of flames flew past his tail. A following Zero Fighter seized the opportunity to open fire. At the critical moment, it was already shot from behind. Zhou Zhihan, who knew in the flying helmet, avoided it.
The Zero fighter followed the push rod and dived down to bite. Just as it rushed out from under the clouds, the pilot screamed strangely: "Baga... Immelman maneuver."
Before he finished speaking, Wildcat No. 214 had arrived 90 meters to his right. The fighter plane's belly was close to the cloud base and flew upside down. Flames shot out from the nose and wings at the same time, hitting his fuselage as if it was broken. A layer of wood easily destroyed the Zero's fuel tank. The last scene left in his eyes was Wildcat No. 214 rolling away after firing.
Unbelievable!
These were his last words before leaving this world.
There was no time to say a word.
Zhou Zhihan struck three times in a row, and two bombers and a Zero fighter exploded one after another. The three Japanese pilots did not know until their death that the giant oil tank at Pearl Harbor was just two kilometers in front of them. This is why, The reason why Zhou Zhihan wanted to blast them in the air.
Zhou Zhihan raised his hand and glanced at his watch, 8:38.
There are still 7 minutes left before the end of the first wave of attacks by the Japanese fleet.
Zhou Zhihan knew that he could not take care of the entire Pearl Harbor with just one fighter jet.
If all Japanese fighter planes besiege him, he is not afraid and has the ability to shoot them down one by one.
The water area of Pearl Harbor is about 33 square kilometers, and the entire Pearl Harbor area is about 90 square kilometers. Japanese bombers were scattered in dozens of places to bomb, and the airspace altitudes were also different. It was impossible for them to destroy Japan within this 90 kilometers. All incoming fighter planes were driven away.
Therefore, what Zhou Zhihan has to do now is to protect this large fuel depot that is more terrifying than a nuclear bomb.
Historically, this fuel depot did not explode during a sneak attack, which must be the reason.
It is impossible for the Japanese not to know the existence of this large oil depot that can severely damage the Pacific Fleet.
The explosions of Zhou Zhihan shooting down two Type 99 bombers attracted the attention of Japanese commander Mizuo Fuchida.
Fuchida thought for a moment and immediately understood Zhou Zhihan's intention. At the same time, he also clearly realized that Zhou Zhihan was protecting the oil depot, the lifeblood of the US military.
Mizuo Fuchida ordered the communications soldier Mizuki to play a semaphore - Iwamoto Tetsuzo led a squadron to fight in zero combat, and must shoot down the No. 214 Wildcat, remove two bombers, blow up the large oil depot not far behind Zhou Zhihan, and then all the troops should withdraw.
Immediately, Tetsuzo Iwamoto led 11 Zeros to attack Wildcat No. 214. Behind them, two dive bombers slowly followed. After the Zeros surrounded Wildcat No. 214, they only needed one dive to complete the final fatal attack. With one strike, fireworks lit up Pearl Harbor.
Seeing a squadron of Zeros coming towards him, Zhou Zhihan scratched his head. If he had known this, he should have defended the large oil tank from the beginning and attracted all the Japanese planes to shoot them down.
At this moment, a series of violent explosions came from the sea. Through the smoke, Zhou Zhihan vaguely saw that the battleship USS California was hit by two torpedoes one after another. The entire ship jumped up, and then a bomb hit it. Wearing its heavy protective armor, it exploded next to the oil depot, and the deck next to the oil depot suddenly became hot and red.
In order to prevent the explosion of the oil depot from detonating the ammunition depot, the commander ordered water to be poured into the ammunition depot and the oil depot. However, this action only exacerbated the tilt and rapid sinking of the warship.
Seeing that there was no way to save the day, the commander could only order all the sailors to abandon the ship and escape. But at this moment, the oil depot exploded, and a large amount of heavy oil thickly gathered around the battleship. The oil layer reached an astonishing 40 centimeters. After an explosion, The oil layer was ignited, and huge flames and thick smoke rushed into the sky, causing terrible flames. The Californian was burned and slowly tilted and sank. The panicked sailors were afraid of being swept away by the terrifying whirlpool. After falling into the water, they were forced to jump into the sea of fire, trying to escape from the water, but after jumping into the sea of fire, they realized that they were covered in heavy oil and were burning under the water...
