The reason why everyone remained silent was because Li Hang could actually get two Blue Sky and White Sun Medals for his contribution.
As the highest honor medal in China at this time, the Medal of Blue Sky and White Sun is of great significance to many soldiers.
As for the Guoguang Medal, it is still being formulated at this time and has not been officially implemented, so the Blue Sky and White Sun Medal has the highest level.
Starting from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, through the Battle of Songhu, the Battle of Taiyuan, and the Battle of Nanjing, only two people among one to two million soldiers have received this medal. They were Lao Xie who guarded the Sihang Warehouse and his subordinate Major and Battalion Lao Yang.
It's not that others are unworthy, it's mainly that many people have obtained them in the 128th Anti-Japanese War and the Great Wall Anti-Japanese War.
The Medal of the Blue Sky and White Sun, as an honor awarded to meritorious military personnel who have defended the country and resisted foreign aggression, has a standard of evolution.
But Li Hang meets two of them.
That is, Article 8: Shooting down more than four enemy aircraft and destroying more than six enemy aircraft on the ground in one mission. 'And'Article 9: The aerial bombardment hits the enemy's important bases, high headquarters, arsenals, cruisers, destroyers, etc., completely destroying or sinking them, and there is conclusive proof. '
Let’s not talk about Article 8. In the previous air battle on December 22, Li Hang shot down five enemy planes and cooperated to shoot down two more, for a total of six shots down, which fully meets the criteria of Article 8 of shooting down more than four enemy planes.
However, in the end, I only received a fourth-class Yunhui Medal, which was only an honor belonging to the Air Force itself, not the honor of the entire army.
As for Article 9, when Li Hang was in Nanjing, he flew a plane and killed the Japanese Lieutenant General Commander of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, Asaka Palace Jiuyan Wang, two Japanese Lieutenant General division commanders, as well as many major generals and assistant officers.
Such a record is actually consistent with Article 9.
If these are not consistent, I am afraid that others are even less consistent.
Just like Lao Xie in Sihang Warehouse, it did not play a big role in the failed Battle of Songhu, but its symbolic significance was great and it received a lot of attention, so he was able to get the Blue Sky and White Sun Medal.
And Li Hang killed many senior Japanese officers, including three Japanese lieutenant generals and four major generals. Wouldn't this achievement have a greater effect on boosting the morale of the entire army?
"This is not something we should worry about." Lu Jichun's words interrupted everyone's discussion.
Regarding Li Hang's possibility of receiving the Medal of the Blue Sky and White Sun, everyone was only envious, but there was no jealousy or hatred.
Among the three armies of the army, navy and air force, the Air Force has been established the shortest, and its current military uniforms are all those of the Army. But it is precisely for this reason that the Air Force is simpler. All of these pilots are from rich families, unlike the Army and Navy, which are full of factions.
Not to mention the army, there are divisions such as the Central Army, the Guangxi Army, the Guangdong Army, the Sichuan Army, the Northwest Army, the Shanxi-Sui Army, and the Northeast Army. Even within the Central Army, there are differences between the Huangpu Clan and the Baoding Clan, and the Huangpu Clan has different A small faction.
The same is true for the navy, including the Fujian Department, the Guangdong Army Department, the Northeast Department, and the Lightning Department.
It can be said that the army and navy at this time were really complicated, and Chiang Kai-shek was able to manage to combine so many factions together.
Compared with the army and navy, the air force is more complicated.
Although there were factions before, they were all eventually taken over by the National Government.
The so-called Jianqiao Aviation School, Guangdong Air Force, Guangxi Air Force and other factions basically ceased to exist after the Battle of Songhu, the Battle of Taiyuan and the Battle of Nanjing. Because most of the pilots were gone, there were no so-called factions.
Just like the air force recruited from local warlords, in the previous months of combat, most of the original pilots were lost and there was no replacement.
The Jianqiao Aviation School and overseas Chinese have become the current complement to the Air Force's effective strength, especially the former, and naturally there is no obvious factional distinction.
Although Li Hang did not come from Jianqiao Aviation School, his flying skills were very strong and he won the respect of other pilots with his ability.
Due to the '12.22' air battle, the 21st Squadron of the Fourth Group also stationed at Hankou Airport on December 31.
Unlike the 22nd Squadron, which is all I-15, the 21st Squadron is all I-16, and there are 10 in total.
The 22nd Squadron currently has 6 I-15s available for combat, which is 16 fighters.
Together with the 2 I-15 squadrons and 1 I-16 squadron of the Soviet Air Force assisting China, a total of 29 fighters means that the number of fighter jets of the Chinese Air Force in the Wuhan area has reached 45.
The Type 96 carrier-based fighter jet Li Hang grabbed was about to take off for Lanzhou, and then be handed over to the Soviet Union. Only then could he get fifty additional fighters provided by the Soviet Union.
If it is damaged in the process, the previous transactions will not count.
Those Hawker IIIs were handed over to the Fifth Group stationed in Nanchang, and the planes were taken away a few days ago.
. . . . . .
January 1, 1938 was the time when Li Hang and other pilots of the 23rd Squadron departed for Lanzhou to receive new aircraft.
Not long after breakfast, Li Hang was packing things in the dormitory.
He didn't have many things, except for the suicide notes of four people and the money, there was nothing else.
If time hadn't allowed, he would have given these things to the four people's families immediately.
"Li Hang, someone is looking for you outside the airport!"
"Who is looking for me?" Li Hang was stunned for a moment, looked at the person, and subconsciously asked, "It can't be Chen Lu, right?"
"Who else besides her?"
"Haha, Li Hang, the eldest lady is really relying on you! Didn't the situation scare him away last time?" Lu Jichun couldn't help coming over and patting Li Hang on the shoulder and laughing.
"Hangzi, wish you good luck!"
"Brother Hang, why don't you just obey."
"roll roll roll!"
After sending away a group of joking comrades, Li Hang threw the salute on the bed and walked out.
When we arrived outside the airport, it was still the same Chevrolet luxury coupe, except that there was a black Ford car behind it, which was obviously a bodyguard.
It was probably caused by the previous assassination.
"Li Hang, you finally came out. I heard you were leaving, but I begged my father for a long time before being allowed to come out."
When she saw Li Hang, Chen Lu ignored the people coming and going near the airport gate and directly put her arm around Li Hang's shoulder.
"Miss Chen, please pay attention to your image." Li Hang calmly tried to push the other party away, but found that the other party was very forceful and had no choice but to give up.
"What are you afraid of? It's not like they don't know." Chen Lu obviously didn't care anymore, "I went through all the trouble to see you off, why don't you thank me?"
"I would be grateful if you didn't bother me. In fact, you should listen to your father's advice. I'm just a broom star. It's not safe to be too close to me." Li Hang said helplessly.
"I don't care. I prepared food for you, but I bought it with my own hands. You are not allowed to refuse."
"Okay, I can't accept it yet. I'm in a hurry. I'll try again later when I have time..."
Just when Li Hang was about to take the food and drive people away, the airport alarm suddenly sounded.
