Chapter 179 AA: Anti-Aircraft Gun Crew on Full Alert

This artillery attack was perfect. It took only one minute to kill the Japanese on the high ground. Everyone present showed expressions of joy and shock.

For the current Eighth Route Army, field artillery is still a little unfamiliar.

After all, the troops used to be mainly engaged in mobile warfare. Even in the first two stages of the Hundred Regiments Campaign, there was no scene of concentrated use of barreled artillery.

After being shocked, Captain Li quickly raised the telescope on his chest. He looked at the high ground in the sea of ​​fire in front of him, and his mouth was almost grinning to his ears.

"It's the French women. If we only talk about the lethality, the 82mm mortar has to stand aside. The explosive power of ten guns firing at the same time is really too fierce."

"This scene and this movement, when I think about the richer days in the future, I can't believe it."

"What a pity, I originally wanted to fight with the Japanese lieutenant colonel, but now I'm afraid I can't even find a hair. I haven't fought hand-to-hand combat for a long time, and my body and sword skills are a bit rusty."

Li Yunlong's words sounded very Versailles. Fortunately, Ou Liang and Cheng Xiazi were in a good mood, so they were too lazy to complain about him.

Unlike others, Wang Chengzhu felt mixed emotions at this time.

Different positions, different perspectives on the problem. The three regiment commanders were all infantrymen, and they only saw exaggerated scenes in this artillery bombardment.

He became an artilleryman in the second month of his enlistment, and he was extremely talented.

In addition, he studied hard during the non-combat period and continuously improved his combat skills, so that he could quickly get started when facing new weapons.

The emptiness just now is a man's nature. Everyone likes more powerful weapons. But after calming down, a sense of powerlessness arises from the bottom of his heart.

Through relatively systematic learning, he knows that the artillery system of the New Second Regiment and even other brother units is not complete, and there are still many areas that need to be improved.

Ten 75mm field guns are only two and a half companies on the European battlefield.

But they have a clear division of labor, with company headquarters, communication units, artillery units, ammunition units and logistics units. About a hundred people serve four artillery pieces, bringing the power of heavy weapons to the extreme.

The New Second Regiment is far behind. Wang Chengzhu has to observe positions, calculate parameters, command gunners, ensure logistics, and even drive.

In the artillery attack just now, no one in the entire company except him could control the new weapons, and he needed to check them one by one before firing.

"Hey, there is a long way to go, and our troops still have a lot to learn."

The feeling of loss comes quickly and goes quickly.

Although Zhuzi is only an artillery company commander of a basic regiment, he has a high level of awareness and a strong will. If there are deficiencies, he will continue to learn.

He firmly believes that one day in the future, he can change the status quo more or less through his own efforts.

Retracting his messy thoughts, he trotted to Li Yunlong's side.

The word steady has always flowed in the blood of this round-faced man. Now there seems to be no danger on the battlefield, but it is always right to move the position after the bombardment.

"Captain, our company will go back first. It's not safe here."

After hearing this, Lao Li nodded, patted the other party on the shoulder and praised:

"You did a good job this time. I will see if I can get you a lieutenant's knife. Come to the regiment headquarters in the afternoon. I got a bottle of good wine from Deputy Minister Huang last time."

What the two didn't know was that good habits saved the lives of these ten Miss 75.

————

Ten minutes later, 57 kilometers away from the logistics department.

Sixteen fighter planes took off from Taiyuan Qinxian Airport and headed towards the coordinates sent by Yamazaki in a neat four-plane formation. This was the incomplete version of the 29th Independent Flying Squadron led by Asakawa Masaharu.

The First Army's Army Aviation was not fully staffed, and for a long time there were only 23 Type 97 fighters.

When this flying squadron supported Katayama Shotaro at Lion Head Mountain, Li Yunlong shot down one of them with a Type 92 heavy machine gun.

In the early stage of the second phase of the Hundred Regiments Campaign, the New Second Regiment attacked Taiyuan Airport at night, and faced the embarrassing situation of having no aircraft to use after being bombarded.

Fortunately, Tada Shun had not given up on Shinozuka Yoshio. Before the mopping-up officially began, he transferred a flying squadron from the North China Front Army Headquarters in Beip to the First Army.

Coupled with the amazing repair technology of the Japanese ground crew, they repaired four more planes by tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall.

This formed the 29th Independent Flying Squadron, which was built with six Type 97 fighters and ten Type 97 light bombers.

In order to completely destroy the arsenal of the Eighth Route Army, Shinozuka Yoshio spent all his money at once and sent all fighter planes to carry out combat missions.

In terms of quantity, the strength of the 29th Independent Flying Squadron has weakened. But the Army Aviation cannot just look at the number of aircraft, but the type of aircraft.

Unlike the pitiful bomb load of 4 25 kg bombs of the Type 97 fighter, the Type 97 light bomber is a special bomber, which can carry 400 kg bombs and has a range of 1,700 kilometers.

In terms of bomb load, the 29th Independent Flying Squadron's ground attack power has increased.

During the flight, Asakawa Masatake looked at the fighter planes of the team members around him, and he solemnly warned:

"Gentlemen, this time we are going to bomb the military factories and hospitals of the Eighth Route Army. Key areas like this usually have some anti-aircraft weapons."

"Recently, the enemy has appeared with a lot of French weapons. The General Staff boldly predicts that the enemy is likely to be equipped with a certain number of Hotchkiss 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns."

"We must be careful and never underestimate the enemy."

This major of the Army Aviation first saw his wingman being shot down, and then he experienced the shelling of Taiyuan Airport by the New Second Regiment. He had long since put away his contempt for the Eighth Route Army, and was left with only a belly full of anger.

"Hey!"

"We will definitely drop bombs on the enemy's heads! Blow them to pieces!"

"This time, we must destroy the enemy."

The Army Aviation pilots were very respectful of what their immediate superiors said.

Moreover, a few of them had the same experience as Asakawa Masatake. Those colleagues who despised their opponents are now either lying in the hospital or have seen the sky locusts.

As survivors of the attack, these devils were bombarded with at least hundreds of artillery shells, and even their precious vehicles were destroyed. They attacked with injuries this time, in addition to the tasks assigned by Shinozuka Yoshio, more to seek revenge.

Another group of outsiders were also very obedient. They put away their arrogance as soon as they arrived in Shanxi Province.

Although they had not been beaten by the Eighth Route Army, they knew what to do when they saw the aborigines of the First Army Army Aviation were so miserable. Besides, when they set out from BeiP, their former superiors also told them to face the enemy squarely.

Caution and self-confidence are not contradictory, and those who can become pilots are elites.

All members of the 29th Independent Flying Squadron firmly believe in one thing, that is, they will definitely complete the mission and return safely.

For the next ten minutes, Asakawa Masaharu has been discussing tactics with the team members. These devils have no radio silence at all, after all, the Eighth Route Army is not advanced enough to monitor the radio.

Soon, sixteen planes arrived close to the destination. These devils never thought that their whereabouts had been exposed.

Deputy Commander Han considered very comprehensively when building the air defense position. Although he didn't know where the enemy would come from, it was right to set up more observation posts and cast more nets.

When the 29th Independent Flying Squadron appeared in the observer's field of vision, the soldiers informed the rear position through a portable radio.

The moment the enemy plane entered the warning circle, Deputy Commander Han immediately shouted through the radio.

"Fire! Anti-aircraft guns are on full alert!"

The advantage of anti-aircraft guns is concealment and firepower, while the advantage of aircraft is mobility. If the aircraft enters the effective range of the anti-aircraft guns without knowing it, it will only test the professional level of the anti-aircraft artillery.

After all, the initial velocity of the shells is not slow, and the pilots may be shot down or injured before they notice it.

After a period of training, the soldiers have mastered the use of ring sights.

Although this thing is essentially a mechanical sight, it does not have a fire control and guidance system and can only be locked by the naked eye.

But the soldiers can use the speed circle to predict the flight speed of the enemy aircraft and shoot ahead of time. And the circular front sight helps to track the target's movement trajectory and quickly capture the enemy aircraft.

When the communication system heard the roar of Deputy Regiment Commander Han, the soldiers on the position immediately took action!

The 150 Hotchkiss 25mm anti-aircraft guns that had been ready for a long time opened fire at full power, and traces of tracer bullets immediately appeared in the originally calm sky.

Like hidden venomous snakes, they suddenly attacked from the shadows and bit the devils in the sky.

As the saying goes, nine out of ten air defenses are empty.

In addition, the Hotchkiss 25mm anti-aircraft gun uses a fixed 15-round magazine for ammunition supply. Every time the magazine is changed, the shooting must be stopped, which greatly reduces the efficiency of air defense.

Moreover, many soldiers are facing the devil's aircraft in actual combat for the first time. Under the tension, the advance calculation method that was originally familiar in practice is now a bit lame.

But! All these problems do not affect the effect!

In 1940, the number of 150 anti-aircraft guns is really too large. There is no place in the whole Republic of China with such air defense level.

In addition, the actual firing rate of the Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun is also decent. The soldiers can maintain it at 100-110 rounds per minute.

On average, an aircraft faces more than 1,000 rounds per minute. Even if we are blind cats encountering dead mice, we can still shoot down a few.

In just the first round of attacks, five Japanese bombers were blown up in the air by a surprise attack.

It's a pity that this gun uses a collision fuse, which requires the warhead to hit the target directly and trigger the explosion by impact.

If there is a proximity fuse or a time fuse, it can produce a black cloud effect. At that time, it can scare these grandsons to death. Even Best has to run away in such an occasion.

"!!!"

"Baga!"

Asakawa Masatake really has no words to say. They have guessed that the enemy will have anti-aircraft weapons before the attack and have made sufficient preparations.

At the current flight altitude, as long as it is not bombing the capital of the southwest, the whole country can go unimpeded.

The anti-aircraft weapons of the Eighth Route Army are indeed the products of Hotchkiss Company.

But no one thought that it was not an anti-aircraft machine gun, but a fucking anti-aircraft gun! They are too familiar with this thing, the "Type 96 25-inch high-angle machine gun", which is equipped in large quantities by the army and navy.

After the introduction of the brother country, it has hardly been modified.

The casting process was simply changed, making some parts manufactured by machining easier to produce. The muzzle suppressor was replaced with the design of Germany's Rheinmetall, and the sight style was changed.

Now the number is really too outrageous. Anyone who comes here will feel guilty about the dense tracer bullets. Asakawa Masaaki even feels like he is leading the team into the inner circle of the Combined Fleet's air defense.

When did the Eighth Route Army get these weapons, and why didn't they use them before? Could it be that the first use of these anti-aircraft guns was given to him?

The major of the Army Aviation kept cursing in his heart, but his hands were not slow at all. He immediately raised the altitude and loudly reminded the other surviving team members!

"Raise! Raise!"

Under normal circumstances, aircraft generally do not take anti-aircraft guns as important combat targets.

Unless they have lost their minds, who will fight with anti-aircraft guns? Just run away after completing the mission.

Aircraft attacking ground targets often choose high-value targets, such as ground transportation hubs, command posts, artillery units, armored units, transport units, etc.

If the opponent has a large number of anti-aircraft guns, then flexible aircraft are needed to attack and harass the ground anti-aircraft guns to create opportunities for the bombers behind.

Now Asakawa Masaru is facing this choice. His gratitude to Shinozuka Yoshio for his kindness and his loyalty to Tianhuang made him make a nearly suicidal choice.

"Reselect the angle of attack! Fighters, follow me. Our mission is to attract the attention of the enemy's anti-aircraft guns! Create a loophole for the bombers to break through!"

"Warriors! It's time to sacrifice for our country! It's dark! Get on board!"

In the case of camouflage with fortifications and bunkers, even if the anti-aircraft guns open fire, as long as the gun flames and gun smoke are not obvious, there is a certain probability that the pilot will not be able to tell where the gun positions are.

After hearing the order, the six Type 97 fighters immediately adjusted their directions and rushed towards the most densely populated anti-aircraft gun positions with their own lieutenant colonels.

Time: October 1940, Location: Southeast Shanxi.

Now! It's a duel between anti-aircraft guns and fighters!

Although it's not a 37 gun, we have more people! There is no need to light the cornfield to attract the enemy, the devils will come to die by themselves.

Facing the fighters rushing up, Deputy Regiment Commander Han showed a sarcastic expression. Although he has never flown a plane, it is not the first time to use anti-aircraft guns to fight against planes.

The position he arranged had fortifications. The small 7.7mm water pipes of the Type 97 fighter were difficult to cause damage unless they were directly hit.

When anti-aircraft guns attack fighters, because the aiming line is almost unchanged, they only need to keep firing at one point.

When the fighter dives, the anti-aircraft guns look at the fighter like this:

——

(o)-——

The fighter looks at the anti-aircraft guns like this:

《*》

What's more, due to the aerodynamic shape of the fighter, the aiming line will definitely change during the dive. This means that when Asakawa Masaharu fires, he has to fine-tune the angle of the machine gun according to the speed.

We all use machine aiming. I don't need to adjust the artillery parameters, but you have to keep fine-tuning the fuselage. It goes without saying who has the most pressure in this situation.

The anti-aircraft gunner only needs to overcome his fear and keep firing, and leave the rest to God.

The final result was not unexpected. Asakawa Masaharu watched his teammates being blown up one after another in the air, and his eyes were red.

During the dive, he kept making maneuvers to avoid the anti-aircraft guns. From time to time, they used small water pipes to sweep the positions, but the effect was always limited, and they did not even achieve the original purpose of attracting firepower.

At a distance of 300 meters from the ground, a 25×153mm shell hit the nose of the aircraft.

The Type 97 fighter without armor protection turned directly into sparks in the air, and Deputy Commander Han provided a one-stop service for Asakawa Masaharu to crush bones and scatter ashes.

As for those Type 97 light bombers that were given high hopes, they were also doomed. They misjudged the data of anti-aircraft firepower.

After seeing such a dense firepower network, the Japanese immediately determined that these anti-aircraft guns should be twin or triple-mounted, and they did not think about the possibility of a single gun.

The continuous version has a slightly slower turning speed, and they want to use this to avoid shells and increase the probability of success.

These days, they subconsciously believe that the anti-aircraft guns of the Eighth Route Army are the same as the Type 96 magic guns, with an effective range of 3,000 meters. So they tried to start diving at the range to increase the efficiency of the attack.

But Hotchkiss is a Gallic chicken, and even anti-aircraft guns can be used.

The huge charge and 60-caliber barrel allow a 25mm small-caliber gun to have a maximum range of 8,000 meters and an effective range of 3,500 meters.

This is not the first time that empiricism has suffered. When the devils were ready to continue their attack, they unexpectedly discovered that the Eighth Route Army's guns could still hit them.

The original purpose of the air defense position was to drive away enemy aircraft and interfere with enemy aircraft bombing through intensive firepower. As long as the aircraft wasted the scarce bombs, the purpose of air defense was achieved.

After all, with all kinds of artillery shells coming, the pilots were under great pressure to face a barrage of bullets. If they were not careful, the plane would be destroyed and people would die.

But because the devils were courting death, only two of the last five bombers successfully dropped bombs at a position of 700 meters.

Due to their bad mentality, unstable flight posture, and insufficient dive angle, these bombs did not hurt the logistics department at all. In the end, only one plane escaped from the battlefield and flew alone to Taiyuan.

——————

Taiyuan, the First Army Headquarters.

A staff officer ran into the combat meeting room with sweat all over his face. He reported to Shinozuka Yoshio fearfully: "General, our plane is back."

"What's the result?"

"The specific results are unknown, but..."

The staff officer hesitated: "According to the airport report, only one fighter plane returned."

"What?"

"What happened?"

Seeing that the staff officer could not give a clear answer, Shinozuka Yoshio immediately went to the airport.

At this time, the logistics department also knew that the Japanese planes were ambushed. It was not that someone deliberately notified them, but mainly because the noise of the air-to-ground confrontation was too loud.

Anyone with a telescope saw the Japanese planes being shot down one after another.

Now everyone is cheering and celebrating the feat of the anti-aircraft artillery unit. Since joining the war, everyone has been bombed badly by the Japanese planes.

This time, so many were killed, and they were shot down from the sky, which made everyone feel proud and relieved their anger.

Five planes were shot down by surprise

The Japanese gave away six planes, and I was stupid enough to kill five of them. It’s not too much, right?