Chapter 358: Center Position Shooting Method

At Hummerson Airport in the German-controlled area, Major Immelman had been promoted to colonel and was fully responsible for the airport's work, although he did nothing but survive the bombing by France.

But that seems to be enough.

The last bombing caused heavy losses to the airport. Only 128 of the 365 pilots survived, and some of them may not be suitable to fly aircraft due to their injuries.

Therefore, those who can survive are the elites among the elites. For the few elites left, promotion is inevitable.

However, in Colonel Immelman's view, his group captain was more like an artilleryman than an aviation group commander.

During this time, he was always thinking about how to defend against French bombing.

"If we cannot stop the enemy's bombing, the flying group will never be established or developed." Colonel Immelman said to his subordinates: "Our air power will always lag behind France. This is not what we want to see."

"But Colonel." Some subordinates objected: "Why can't we organize the aviation team in a farther and safer place and then move it here?"

Colonel Immelman asked, "What's the difference? After the formation, you can take off to intercept enemy bombers?"

The subordinates were stunned.

The French bombers were faster than the German fighters, so even if they took off to intercept them, it would be meaningless.

"Let me be clear." Colonel Immelman glanced at the entire audience and tapped the map with his finger: "Currently we have only one way to deal with enemy bombers, and that is to shoot them down with machine guns and artillery. Only in this way can we Only then can the airport survive and our aircraft continue to provide necessary air cover to the front line."

Colonel Immelman heard that a new aircraft has been successfully developed in China, which is faster than enemy bombers. I hope this news is true.

The subordinates answered one after another:

"Yes, Colonel."

"Understood, Colonel."

…

But things are often easier said than done.

An aircraft is an object moving in three-dimensional space. It is not a two-dimensional ground target hit by ordinary artillery.

For ground targets, the artillery shell will hit the ground and explode regardless of whether it hits, and then generate a huge shock wave and fragments, causing damage to nearby enemies.

This is not the case for aircraft in three-dimensional space. If the shell fails to hit the target, it will continue flying without exploding, and of course it will not cause any damage to the target.

(Note: At this time, anti-aircraft artillery shells using delayed fuzes have not yet been invented. Even with delayed fuzes, it is still very difficult to hit air targets. Fast aircraft at this stage are almost invincible.)

After thinking hard for a few days, Colonel Immelman finally figured out a "central position shooting method."

He divided every ten cannons into a group, arranged these groups into a dense formation, determined the target position with the centermost cannon, and set all the cannons to fire at the same time.

(Note: The "central position shooting method" was an air defense method actually used during World War I. At that time, aircraft suddenly developed at a high speed but the air defense firepower was extremely backward. In desperation, this method of compensating for accuracy with quantity was adopted. Ten rounds Cannonballs are fired at a target at the same time, hoping to hit the target by chance)

Colonel Immelman mobilized hundreds of artillery pieces and set up positions in front and behind the airport to wait for the French bombers to arrive, just like weaving a big net.

…

On this day, when Colonel Immelman was discussing with his subordinates whether to add machine gun firepower at high altitudes, the staff officer guarding the phone suddenly exclaimed to Colonel Immelman: "Enemy situation, Colonel! The enemy's bombers have taken off, and there are more than fifty people." We’ll arrive in about ten minutes!”

Colonel Immelman's face turned pale instantly. If there were more than fifty planes, more than 1,000 bombs would fall from the sky. Did they want to blow up the airport?

Colonel Immelman suddenly realized that his deployment might not be effective. More than a hundred artillery pieces might be just a drop in the bucket!

"The plane takes off urgently!" Colonel Immelman ordered: "Everyone is ready for battle!"

"Yes!" The staff officer hurriedly picked up the phone to convey the order.

The piercing air defense sirens sounded over the airport, and the entire airport became tense. The pilots rushed to their planes in groups. They drove the planes onto the runway under the guidance of the ground staff, and then amidst the roar of the engines Take off and take off.

The logistics troops hurriedly sent the exposed fuel and ammunition into the underground warehouse. Some that were too late to transport back were simply pushed into the open space to avoid affecting nearby buildings.

The nearby artillerymen also received the order. They rushed to the gun emplacement with a rapid whistle and adjusted the muzzle to the direction of the enemy aircraft under the command of the commander.

…

Soon, there was a faint "rumbling" sound in the sky, and a group of French bombers appeared in the aperture of Colonel Immelman's telescope. They were as black as locusts, covering half of the sky.

"We also need to have bombers like this." Colonel Immelman's eyes were filled with resentment and a hint of envy: "In this way, we can let the French experience the feeling of being bombed."

Then Colonel Immelman discovered something was wrong. The bombers seemed not to be flying toward him but to the rear.

He felt confused. There seemed to be no airport in that direction.

Soon Colonel Immelman knew the answer: the bombers flew over the Kilray Steel Works and dropped rows of bombs.

The Kilray Steel Plant was only a dozen kilometers away from Colonel Immelman's location. The explosion was clearly audible, and rising clouds of fire and thick fog could also be seen.

Colonel Immelmann sighed softly when he put away the telescope. This is the advantage of bombers. They can choose the bombing location at will, but the preparations made by the German army have been in vain.

…

Shire dispatched a total of 112 bombers, each group of 56 bombers bombed a steel plant.

There was a steel plant that was not targeted. It was close to the Western Front, with a straight-line distance of only about one kilometer. This steel plant called Camond was obviously easier to be recaptured by the French army.

The two steel plants that were targeted were not so lucky.

The steel plant under German control did not have any air defense preparations. A large amount of coal used as fuel was piled randomly around the factory. The bombing unsurprisingly ignited them and caused a fire.

Coal is resistant to burning and difficult to put out. The fire burned for days and nights and eventually reduced the steel plant to a pile of scrap metal.

…

Schneider Arsenal.

Paulina was stunned on the spot after receiving the call. After a while, she turned to look at James at the desk, and said with panic: "Sir, French bombers just bombed our two steel plants. They have become ruins. ”

James was reviewing and approving the production expansion plan of the "Shaucha" machine gun. When he heard this, the pen in his hand suddenly stopped.

At this moment, he understood why Charles thought he would sell the steel plant!