Chapter 218: Failure at the Last Moment!

The northern defense line of Zhongtiao Mountain, northeast of Hengling Pass.

After delivering Li Yunlong's Marine Corps to the destination, Principal Chang immediately led the air trains to turn around and quickly return to the field airport in the southeastern Shanxi base.

The entire formation was divided into two before arriving in the air above the battlefield, one part consisting of 25 transport planes and 25 fighters.

These fighters will continue to perform escort missions to ensure that the air trains can return safely.

The other part consists of six Spitfires and 58 Hurricanes. They not only carry bullets and aircraft cannons, but also carry Red Sun rockets and bombs on the lower end of the wings.

According to the regulations of the Air Force First Division, these big guys must be dealt with before returning to the airport.

In this era, whether it is a fighter or a bomber, as long as it is fully loaded with weapons and takes off, it generally does not bring those big treasures back to the airport.

Even if it is not used up, it will choose a sparsely populated place to throw it down.

After all, when the plane takes off with weapons, there is almost no danger. After all, they are well-trained soldiers with solid basic skills.

But no one can guarantee that their plane will be intact after completing the mission!

No matter what the reason, once there is a mistake during landing, the aircraft body may rub against the ground.

If there are weapons mounted on the belly or under the wings at that time, it is very likely to bomb their own airport.

Looking at those Japanese who seemed to be tireless and attacking crazily. Captain Wang Hai picked up the communicator and issued an attack order in the channel:

"In the first wave, every four fighters form a formation, and everyone goes together. While the enemy's formation is still dense, throw all the bombs."

"Try to choose high-value targets as much as possible to delay the advance of the Japanese!"

"Received!"

·······

At this time, the 41st Division of the North China Front Army and the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade were launching a fierce attack on the positions of the 43rd Army and the 17th Army of Guosu.

Although a large number of heavy weapons were lost in the air raid, the combat effectiveness and fighting will of the Japanese Type B Division should not be underestimated.

Under the impact at all costs, the defenders on the north line of Zhongtiao Mountain have already declined. After only two hours of fighting, they lost the 18-ping position.

Several infantry battalions fought steadily, using the Type 92 infantry gun and smoke bombs as the core tactics, and gradually eroded the fortress group of the 43rd Army.

In the Japanese forward command post, Lieutenant General Shimizu Nori and Major General Ikegami Kenkichi looked unhappy.

Even though the troops were attacking smoothly now, as long as those damn enemy planes appeared again, all the previous results would have to be vomited out.

Suddenly, Shimizu Nori rushed out of the command post, and the old devil grabbed the telescope of the staff officer beside him and looked carefully at the distant sky.

Soon, he found dozens of green dots in the sky.

"Enemy plane! Enemy plane! Hide!"

As soon as the voice fell, a group of senior generals in the command post drilled into the air-raid shelter like moles. The speed was so fast that it was quite like the legacy of Gallic chickens.

The reason why Shimizu Nori could identify the Air Force 1st Division was very simple. Their planes all departed from Taiyuan, and they should have flown from the north instead of the south.

As the sound of the piston engine became clearer and clearer, sixty-four fighter planes appeared in the sky above the battlefield.

The Japanese infantrymen were in chaos all of a sudden. They were already exhausted by the bombing. Many devils couldn't help but tremble when they saw the planes.

At the critical moment of life and death, the battalions no longer gathered together and scattered, and the offensive formation was destroyed in an instant.

No one had the courage to charge, because at this time, enemy planes had already dived down and dropped bombs on the crowded places.

Several 227 kg bombs exploded with a bang, and the movement of the explosion was clearly felt even by Qingshui Guigui and others in the air-raid shelter in the rear.

Unlike the extremely embarrassed devils, the 43rd Army, as the defending side, seemed to have received a strong injection of adrenaline.

It has been more than a day since the start of the battle, and most of the soldiers have become accustomed to the model-working friendly air force.

Even though the two sides have not yet established an effective communication network, the air-ground cooperation is quite good, and sometimes the ground forces of Guojian can guide the targets of the Air Force 1st Division.

For the grassroots commanders on the front line, now is a good opportunity to attack. The aerial bombs not only destroyed the enemy's trenches, but also broke up the formation of the devils.

If we don't fight back now, when will we?

"All attack!"

Taking advantage of the air strike launched by the Air Force Division 1, the 43rd Army organized several waves of counterattacks and regained the 18-ping position.

If it weren't for the fact that the commander Zhao Shiling was afraid that the troops would charge too hard and be accidentally injured by friendly fighters, the high-spirited soldiers would have to give the devils some strength.

Under the guidance of the signal flares, one hurricane after another completed the dive and threw the bombs they carried wantonly on the head of the 41st Division.

Bombs exploded on the route of the devils' retreat, and flames devoured the lives of the enemy.

Occasionally, the devils used light and heavy machine guns to try to form an anti-aircraft firepower network. But this pitiful firepower was not even enough to be the atmosphere group to send off the hurricane.

The precise dive bombing lasted for five minutes. The sixty-four fighters were divided into several batches and delivered the bombs they carried to the 41st Division and the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade.

The Hurricane and the Spitfire were definitely genuine fighters on the European battlefield.

After all, the bomb load was insufficient and it was difficult to perform the task of a close support aircraft.

But once they came to the Asian battlefield with excellent matching mechanism, many Japanese soldiers regarded them as the death gods in the air.

Any weight of the bombs carried by the two, even if they did not hit directly and became near misses, could kill the Japanese armored forces instantly.

The power of the Red Sun rocket was relatively small, but the accuracy when attacking ground units was very good.

Coupled with the shooting correction of the aircraft machine gun or aircraft cannon, it basically achieved one artillery position per shot.

Needless to say, the power of the Western Cannon and the Browning Aviation Machine Gun, the two weapons caused no less casualties in a day than the number of rockets and bombs.

In a sense, the mental damage caused was even greater.

After the bombs were used up, many fighters attacked freely.

Fang Ziyi's target was a Type 95 light tank that was retreating. He saw his Hurricane wing swing and began to dive at a small angle.

From the perspective of the Japanese below, the plane that killed countless people rushed towards them with a terrifying momentum.

The twelve Browning machine guns of the Hurricane fired at the Japanese who were retreating with the tanks, and corrected the trajectory of the rocket launch.

Boom!

After a loud bang, the Type 95 light tank was blown into several burning parts, and it was obviously completely destroyed.

As for the crew members in the tanks, they were all familiar people, and there was no possibility that any of them could survive.

The Japanese who used the tanks as cover to retreat were blown to pieces by the bombs even if they were not killed by the Browning aircraft machine guns.

A simple licking of the ground, the tank that made the 43rd Army hate it so much was easily solved by Fang Ziyi.

Facing the air force fully loaded with ammunition, the enemy's ground forces were all lambs to be slaughtered. It can only be said that air power is worthy of being the natural enemy of ground armored forces.

Watching Fang Ziyi gracefully complete a ground attack, he said in the channel with great emotion:

"I have to say that your efficiency is getting higher and higher! According to the current situation, maybe your story will be passed down like Rudel in a few decades."

"After returning to the border area, I will apply to Director Huang to modify your aircraft. Replace it with two 40mm Vickers aircraft cannons, so that you can fight to your heart's content!"

After hearing the captain's words, Fang Ziyi was stunned.

Although his flying time is not short, the Zhongtiaoshan Campaign was his first time to participate in a large-scale battle.

It feels like living in a dream to get such a high evaluation in just one day.

"Rudel? Who is this person? He should be a foreigner from the name. What great things has he done?"

"This person is not so famous now, you will know in the future. He has many nicknames, the most popular ones are the Eagle of the Eastern Front and the King of the World Paramecium!"

Fang Ziyi's air raid is just the tip of the iceberg of the ground attack of the Air Force 1st Division.

The pilots pulled up the fighter planes one after another, and after choosing a lucky person in the air, they completed another attack.

The machine guns/machine guns under the wings of the Hurricane and Spitfire and the Red Sun rockets fired together, as if a hot knife cut butter.

Few of the Japanese soldiers who were hit could leave a complete body. The broken limbs and arms everywhere dyed the land of Zhongtiao Mountain red and black.

However, the 41st Division was not stupid. They had been destroyed by the Air Force Division for a whole day.

Facing these enemy planes licking the ground, the Japanese soldiers were able to quickly disperse and find shelter.

Although the Hurricane and Spitfire looked powerful, it was difficult to find piles of enemies in the third wave of attack, and the effect of ground attack was getting weaker and weaker.

Affected by the ammunition load, the ammunition on the fighter planes had almost been poured out.

Under the leadership of Captain Wang Hai, all the pilots did not have any regrets. They pulled up and re-formed.

Although the pilots would leave one-third of the aircraft guns and bullets every time, who knew whether the Japanese Army Air Force would suddenly appear and fight with them.

If we are caught off guard, no one can bear the responsibility.

Even though the battle is not over yet, the soldiers of the 43rd Army can no longer contain their excitement. They cheered for the departing Air Force Division 1 on the defense line and watched the model workers return.

"It's so exciting! It feels great to have an air force! After so many years! We finally have air superiority!"

"That's right! My Maxim has been fighting for a whole day, but it's not as good as a bomb from someone else's plane! The Eighth Route Army is too powerful! It's richer than the Central Army!"

The support of 64 fighter planes caused the devils to lose a lot of manpower and armored forces, and even a large-caliber heavy artillery was destroyed.

The most important thing is that the defenders recaptured the 18-ping position, which made the subsequent defense work much easier!

······

The Japanese forward command post on the northern line of Zhongtiao Mountain.

Half an hour after the Air Force Division 1 left, Shimizu Nori received a damage report sent back from the front line.

At this time, the old devil was as silent as a volcano before eruption. Even Kenkichi Ikegami of the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade did not dare to talk to him.

Suddenly, a staff officer came from outside. He held a telegram in his hand and handed it to his lieutenant general nervously, and then quietly stepped back a little.

"Baka!"

After reading it, Shimizu Guiji slapped the staff officer in the face.

"Okamura Neiji, this bastard! He is not a human being! How the hell can we attack! Our division has a total of 8 105 howitzers, and now 5 of them have been blown up by the Eighth Route Army! How can I fight!"

"Reply to my telegram now! Without heavy artillery support! Without the assistance of the Army Aviation! Even if all the 41st Division died on the battlefield, it would be impossible to complete the advance!"

"That's easy to say. I don't know who gave so many precious planes for free at one time!"

"Hey!"

Qing Shui Gui, who was angry, found that the staff officer in front of him was still standing there, and immediately kicked him again.

"Don't forget to use honorifics in the telegram! Remember to ask for tactical guidance! Whoever wants to take the blame can take it!"

······

Behind Zhongtiao Mountain, northeast of Hengling Pass,

a fully armed elite team of Japanese devils hid in the mountains and forests, staring at the command post of the 43rd Army.

Although the commander of the group army Liu Maoen repeatedly told all the army and divisions to guard against the enemy and do a good job in the defense of the command post and military strongholds.

But after a day of fighting, the army commander Zhao Shiling still slacked off.

With the help of the Eighth Route Army Air Force, he even had the illusion that the Japanese devils were nothing special.

After all, it was a miracle that a non-orthodox army could withstand the attack of a division in the past.

In the eyes of the elite Japanese team, the command post of the 43rd Army was no different from being undefended, and the only threatening sentry was also figured out by them.

This team has more than 60 people, including special high-tech spies who are proficient in Chinese and elite infantry of the North China Front Army.

Although there is still some gap compared with Yamamoto's special forces, they are definitely good at infiltration and raids, and their ability to cause damage is also amazing.

Just as the captain Hirao Umezono was still thinking about the next action plan, a communicator with a radio on his back came in front of him.

The other party bowed his head and saluted, and reported in a low voice:

"Hirao-kun, Commander Okamura Yasuji just sent us a telegram. He ordered us to launch an attack at the headquarters of the 43rd Army in half an hour, and cooperate with the 41st Division in front to take the northern defense line."

"If conditions permit, it is best to destroy the enemy's ammunition depots and hospitals and other key military facilities."

This order made Hirao Umezono's face full of fanaticism.

The devils who were selected to enter Zhongtiao Mountain were all diehards who were brainwashed by militarism. These people regarded the tasks assigned by their superiors as everything.

With the strength of their team, each of the above orders was very challenging,

but these elites did not fear at all, but regarded it as a way to realize their own life value.

Hirao Umezono looked at his subordinates around with sharp eyes, and then raised his wrist to check the time.

"Samurai, the time to be loyal to His Majesty Tianhuang has come! We will start the action in fifteen minutes!"

The first group will attack me head-on! Go straight to the headquarters of the enemy's 43rd Army! The second group will make a detour! Cut off the enemy's retreat! The third group will directly destroy the enemy's arsenal! "

"This battle! We will win! ”

······

Twenty minutes later, the 43rd Army Command Post.

At this time, Army Commander Zhao Shiling was in a very good mood. He looked at the ground in front of him with a smile, and he looked like he had a slight advantage.

The troops on the front line not only defended their positions, but also cooperated with the Eighth Route Army to make an effective counterattack. Such combat effectiveness was something that he, the army commander, had not expected.

Although he might be investigated by the old man in the southwestern capital after the war, he had nothing to worry about.

After carefully studying the strategic situation map, Zhao Shiling prepared to contact the 17th Army on the flank to jointly consolidate the supply lines and ferry safety in the rear.

But at this moment, he found that the phone was not connected.

Da Da Da!

Boom Boom Boom!

The sound of gunfire and the explosion of grenade launchers rang out, and all doubts were solved.

Five minutes later, the company commander of the guard company rushed in. This man was covered in blood and broke into the command post with a flower machine gun.

"Report to the commander, a group of devils have come near us. At present, the brothers have already exchanged fire with the enemy, and our battalion commander is directing the battle! "

"Considering the safety issue, it is recommended that you follow our company to move!"

Zhao Shiling nodded and quickly picked up a pistol and a helmet from the table. After putting them on, he followed the soldiers of the guard company out of the command post.

Before leaving, he specially left someone to wait there.

If any Japanese sneaked in, they would detonate the explosives in the room so that the Japanese could not get any intelligence.

Listening to the fewer and fewer gunshots, everyone knew that the guard battalion had the upper hand.

Although Zhao Shiling did not pay much attention to the defense of the headquarters, the advantage of numbers was too great. With only a few dozen Japanese, it would be difficult to break in without automatic firepower.

"How many people are there in this group of enemies who attacked the headquarters?"

This question was a bit difficult for the commander of the guard company. He thought for a long time and gave an estimated number.

"About forty people, their firepower is not very strong, and they can't do anything. They should be the kind that sneak attacked the headquarters of the Fifth Army Group and prepared to infiltrate and sabotage. "

"We are all here, don't worry, there will be no problem!"

But at this moment, a huge explosion was heard from the munitions station in the distance, and everyone's attention was attracted.

At the same time! A bullet hit Zhao Shiling, and the commander of the 43rd Army fell straight to the ground.

"Protect the commander!"

Although the guard company commander shouted, ten soldiers surrounded their commander. The remaining soldiers took out their weapons and exchanged fire with the enemy.

During the battle, soldiers continued to fall. But with the bravery of the successive soldiers, the elite troops of the devils were still killed and wounded.

"Hurry up and save people! Carry the commander to the field hospital!"

"But commander! In the explosion just now, the hospital was also blown up by the devils! There is a high probability that there are no doctors alive!"

"What did you say!"

Hurry up and hurry up