No wonder Lao Zhou was surprised, because this meant that among the two teams in the air attack, the results achieved by the air attack on Nanjing were somewhat beyond expectations.
At the cost of losing one of our own aircraft, a total of more than 50 Japanese fighters of various types were destroyed?
Are the results of proactive air strikes so great?
You must know that although the southern air raids on Guangde and Hangzhou were considered a complete victory, they lost a few aircraft and only achieved about 30 aircraft.
But there are also their own reasons.
The 34 fighter jets and bombers that took off from Wuhan flew directly over the Dabie Mountains and through Chaohu to Nanjing. The Japanese army did not take much precautions.
The direction of Japanese defense was mainly towards Nanchang and Quzhou, especially the former. Of course, the Chinese Air Force rarely took the initiative to attack before, so the Japanese army's defenses were somewhat lax, which is why the losses were so heavy.
"No, I have to report to the Chairman immediately!"
After achieving such a great achievement, Lao Zhou couldn't stand any longer, so he left with a few words of warning.
Mao Bangchu also looked at Lu Jichun and Li Hang, especially the latter, who always brings surprises.
But he also left with Lao Zhou.
As more than 30 planes landed in Wuhan, news of the Air Force's air strike this morning and its major victory also began to spread from the airport through various channels.
These are all hearsay, so the numbers are not accurate.
Some say that the Air Force lost more than a dozen aircraft, while others say that none were lost.
As for the number of Japanese aircraft destroyed, they ranged from a dozen to a hundred.
The same is true in Nanchang.
But the little devil was not happy.
"Your Excellency, Commander, this is the loss of our Army Aviation side. A total of 12 fighter planes were shot down, and 10 fighter planes, 3 reconnaissance planes, 4 crit aircraft, and 1 transport plane were destroyed on the ground. A total of 30 aircraft were lost. All kinds of fighter planes.”
Major General Shozo Kawabe, who had just assumed the post of chief of staff of the Central China Expeditionary Force, came to Shunroku Hata with a list of very embarrassing losses. He watched the change in the latter's expression as he spoke.
"Where's the Navy?" Hata Shunroku glanced at the damage and threw it aside, as if it couldn't cause him any emotional fluctuations.
"The Navy refused to tell us the losses. However, my subordinates learned from other channels that the Navy had more than 20 fighter planes of various types at the Dajiaochang Airport alone. According to a report from the 10th Infantry Brigade stationed in Nanjing, the entire airport was in flames. Among them, I am afraid that all the fighters inside were damaged.
Moreover, the Navy also suffered a lot at the Qianjin Airport in Guangde and Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport. If it had not had an aviation unit just sent from China to fly to Hangzhou this morning, the losses would have been even greater.
According to various sources, the Navy may have lost around 55 fighter jets. "Hebian Zhengzo expressed his guess.
This number is actually quite accurate.
At the Dajiaochang Airport, the Japanese army had a total of 9 Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets, 6 Type 95 carrier-based fighter jets, 8 Type 96 land attack aircraft, and 3 reconnaissance aircraft, for a total of 26 aircraft.
In addition, at Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport and Guangde Airport, the Japanese army also lost 12 Type 95 carrier-based fighters, 7 Type 96 carrier-based fighters, 12 Type 96 land attack aircraft, and 2 reconnaissance aircraft. A total of 33 aircraft.
In the end, the Japanese Navy lost a total of 59 aircraft of various types this time, which can be said to be a small loss.
The reason why the Type 95 carrier-based fighter is here is because the Japanese army's existing Type 96 carrier-based fighter suffered heavy losses in the previous two months, and its improved fighter has just been finalized and is still in production and delivery.
During this gap, the Navy took out the old Type 95 carrier-based fighter jets to replace them for a period of time. It does not directly participate in escort bombing, but is responsible for protecting the airport.
If the Navy hadn't urgently transferred 12 of the latest model 96-type carrier-based fighter jets from China, that is, the A5M4, and replaced them with Nakajima Hisashi 41 engines (710 horsepower), the performance of this fighter would have reached a full level. status, so we started to increase production at full capacity, and then transferred it as soon as it was delivered.
Originally, the Navy planned to equip the 1st and 2nd Joint Air Forces with the latest Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets in February. By then, the Navy, which has hundreds of new carrier-based aircraft, would be able to launch large-scale air strikes. , wash away the previous shame.
It can be said that the Chinese Air Force's air raid came very suddenly, but the timing was also very good.
At Japan's aircraft manufacturing speed, it is no problem to produce hundreds of fighter jets within a month.
If it were any later, it would not be easy to win this time.
"The imperial army was victorious on the battlefield in China, but why did it suffer setbacks in the air? The Chinese did not have the ability to produce aircraft." Although the navy suffered greater losses, Shunroku Hata did not mock the navy for this.
The reason is also simple. The current Japanese Army needs the help of the Naval Aviation. Otherwise, the existing main fighters of the Army Aviation will not be able to fight against the Soviet fighters.
"Your Excellency, Commander, the main thing is the assistance from the Soviet Russians. According to the information currently available, the Soviet Russians have assisted China with at least hundreds of fighter planes of various types, and also sent a specialized aviation fleet.
At present, the Soviet aviation fleet in China has at least 2 fighter groups, 2 light attack group, and 1 heavy attack group, with a total of more than 130 fighters of various types, mainly distributed in Wuhan, Nanchang, Lanzhou, and Chongqing. four places.
Wuhan and Nanchang are the focus, each with a fighter brigade and a critical attack brigade stationed there. "The information that Kawabe Shozo has obtained was obtained by the intelligence department of the former Central China Front Army in the past month or so, but it is not very accurate.
Strictly speaking, there were a total of six groups of the Soviet Air Force aiding China at this time.
There are three bombers in formation, still two light and one heavy.
There are three fighter groups, one of which is stationed in Lanzhou, and the other two are stationed in Wuhan and Nanchang, each with 40 fighters.
Among the air force equipment in the first batch of weapons aided by the Soviet Union to China, there were 6 TB-3 bombers, 62 CB series bombers, 62 I-15 fighter jets, and 94 I-16 fighter jets.
These aircraft have not yet been delivered, and priority is given to the Yi-15 and Yi-16 fighter jets.
In addition, in previous negotiations, China exchanged a intact Type 96 carrier-based fighter jet and a somewhat damaged Type 96 carrier-based fighter jet with the Soviet Union for 50 I-15 and I-16 fighter jets.
These fighters can all be delivered this year. By then, the Chinese Air Force will have 206 fighters, provided that none of them crash.
In this situation, in fact, on the battlefield in Guanhan, especially the core battlefield in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Japanese aviation power had no obvious advantage.
"Our army already has new aircraft. I will ask the base camp to recommend equipping the dispatched army with some first." Shunroku Hata thought for a while and then made a decision.
He was talking about the Type 97 fighter jet, which is known as the most powerful fighter jet in the army. It has begun mass production, but currently only the mainland and the Kwantung Army have equipment, especially the latter.
And his suggestion was undoubtedly to seize planes from the Kwantung Army.
