diskusbooks Chapter 479 No face?
Chapter 479 No face?
When Wang Meng looked up, he found the Japanese planes flying towards him like a group of flies!
However, Wang Meng was not panicked this time. After all, two fighter squadrons had already transferred to Datong Airport this morning!
However, Shojiro Iida thought that Datong Airport had not been restored, so he assembled forty fighter jets from Zhangjiakou Airport and flew to the sky above Datong Airport, preparing to give the Independent Column a surprise!
At this time, the Japanese pilots in the air saw the 30th Army, which was originally celebrating, engulfed in a sea of fire and began to become confused.
"Is this a fireworks celebration?"
"Baga! That's the artillery of the Independent Column! All planes, destroy the enemy's artillery immediately before the planes of the Independent Column reach Datong!"
Just as they were rushing towards the independent column's position fiercely, a dense swarm of F6F Hellcats descended from the clouds.
In the first encounter, six planes of the Japanese flying formation were shot down.
Seeing that the situation was not right, the Japanese pilot commander immediately ordered the bombers to prepare for a desperate battle and all of them rushed towards the howitzer positions of the armored and artillery divisions.
"Oh no! The Japs are not playing by the rules this time. We've run into a tough guy! Squadrons 1 and 2, tie up the Japs' fighters. Squadrons 3 and 4, make sure to shoot down the Japs' bombers!"
The planes of the independent column began to split into two groups and attacked.
But the Japanese planes seemed to be determined to die, and they rampaged through the formation of the independent column, completely disrupting the formation of the aviation division!
"Be careful to avoid it! Be careful to avoid it!"
The F6F Hellcat used its own powerful power to pull the plane up, leaving the Japanese empty-handed.
However, the Japanese bombers gradually approached the howitzer positions of the independent column!
"Order all anti-aircraft artillery battalions of each division to open fire. Our howitzers cannot afford to make any mistakes!"
Wang Huaibao's artillery division's self-propelled howitzer regiment had already driven away the artillery vehicles.
Therefore, the anti-aircraft artillery battalion of the artillery division focused on supporting the air defense of the Datong area.
Hundreds of 37mm anti-aircraft guns tore off the camouflage nets almost at the same time.
The waiting anti-aircraft artillery quickly captured the target, and then captured the Japanese bombers in company units.
"fire!"
Above the azure sky of Datong, a spider-web-like air defense network quickly appeared, waiting for the Japanese planes to swoop down.
The Japanese bomber plane that was flying relatively close and low was pockmarked by the shrapnel, and then immediately caught fire and exploded, turning into a huge firework.
The Japanese's determination to die in battle was crushed, and they began to gradually raise the firepower, then threw the bombs all over the ground like trash.
Dozens of Japanese bombers turned the area below into a sea of fire. Although it looked spectacular, the effect was almost zero.
Most of the bombs were dropped on the mountains and rivers, and only two were dropped on the infantry positions of the independent column, but they had little effect.
After dropping their aerial bombs, these dozens of bomber planes turned around and flew east.
"Baga, have these bomber pilots finished dropping their bombs?"
"Retreat!"
The Japanese planes seemed to have completed their mission and left the battlefield one after another, following the bombers and flying back to Zhangjiakou.
The F6F Hellcat, which posed no threat, quickly returned.
Another flying brigade at Datong Airport immediately loaded up on rockets and aerial bombs and took off quickly, adding fuel to the fire of the Japanese who were being bombarded.
After the triple baptism of buried explosives, howitzers and aircraft, the Japanese's fighting will was reduced to the extreme.
The three divisions on the front line suffered heavy casualties, especially the 39th Division in Jule Township, which advanced the furthest and originally wanted to be the first to break into Datong.
Therefore, they were given special attention by the two 150mm howitzer regiments and self-propelled howitzer regiments of the artillery division. They screamed in pain from the explosions and truly experienced happiness in Jule Township.
Half an hour later, the shelling was basically over. When Lieutenant General Sasa Shinnosuke saw the casualties reported by each brigade, he was on the verge of collapse.
"Baka! In just two hours, we lost more than four thousand warriors of the Empire!"
There are less than 12,000 Japanese devils left in Sasa Shinnosuke's 39th Division!
"General, Shojiro Iida sent a message asking about the cause of the huge explosion and the damage caused by the artillery fire!"
Sasa Shinnosuke felt it was awkward to report "heavy losses" after having just reported a "great victory".
However, he did not have the courage to report false battle information, especially under the nose of Shojiro Iida.
Sasa Shinnosuke's face turned pale and his knuckles were clenched white.
"Report it truthfully!"
Shojiro Iida paced back and forth in the 30th Army Headquarters, feeling extremely anxious. Although he had just received news of the "victorious breakthrough" of three divisions, the deafening explosions and the dense artillery fire made him unable to sleep or eat.
"General, the 39th Division has called back!"
Shojiro Iida trotted over quickly, and as soon as the telegram in the staff officer's hand was unfolded, the four words "heavy losses" exploded in his mind like a thunder!
He confirmed it several times and saw the death toll clearly, then he slammed his fist on the table in anger.
"Baga, immediately inquire about the situation of the other two divisions!"
In less than three minutes, the 125th Division and the 138th Division called back. Although the situation was not as bad as that of the 39th Division, it was not much better either.
Shojiro Iida shook his head helplessly. The fate of ground forces without air superiority would be lambs to be slaughtered.
Moreover, even if the two sides had equal air supremacy, he would not be able to launch an effective attack, after all, the range of the independent column's howitzers far exceeded that of his infantry guns.
Shojiro Iida's advantage completely turned into a disadvantage.
"Send a telegram to General Okamura Yasuji immediately. If we cannot suppress the air power of the independent column and seize air superiority, then the 30th Army of the Kwantung Army will not be able to launch an effective offensive!"
After receiving the telegram, Okamura Yasuji in Peiping was very dissatisfied with the semi-threatening attitude of the Kwantung Army, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, this is their tradition.
In April 1919, the Kwantung Army was officially established. In order to enhance the status of the Kwantung Army, the Kwantung Army became an existence that only accepted the command of the Japanese Emperor.
This is similar to the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard during the Ming Dynasty, which were only under the command of the emperor.
By the end of 1941, the Kwantung Army was equipped with 13 Type A divisions with strong combat effectiveness.
At its peak, it had 31 infantry divisions, 11 infantry and tank brigades, 1 suicide squad and two air forces.
The total number was 120 million, accounting for more than a quarter of the Japanese invaders who invaded China.
Moreover, the Japanese had a large number, strong combat effectiveness, and particularly good equipment, so the Kwantung Army was also known as the Flower of the Imperial Army.
Therefore, they naturally looked down on the Japanese invaders from other places.
Just like Shojiro Iida, the commander of the 30th Army, actually spoke arrogantly to Ningji Okamura, the commander of the front army, and did not give him face!