Chapter 241: The War of Defense of Nanjing is taking a sharp turn (I)

On June 7, 1937, this inadvertent Sino-Japanese air battle shocked the world. Both China and the U.S. side were able to organize such a large-scale coordinated assault operation of air forces, which shocked Europe and the United States. Especially the weak Chinese Air Force, which was armed entirely by imported weapons and equipment, actually broke out and attacked the Japanese army's huge naval ship carrier formation? This seemed to require great courage and precise intelligence support and tactical synthetic command and planning.

This mutual surprise attack by the Chinese and Japanese armies is definitely a classic example of war and will undoubtedly create the door to the arrival of the Air Force era. The Air Force will likely change from auxiliary support troops to main combat troops.

While the Japanese naval formations anchored outside Wusongkou were attacked by the Chinese Air Force on a large scale, four major field airports, two backup airports, and fortresses along the river, especially the Yanziji Fortress. The first and second squadrons of the Chinese Navy were also suddenly attacked by the sky-high airplanes.

Chen Jiliang, commander of the First Fleet of the Chinese Navy, personally led the four main battleships of "Pinghai", "Ninghai", "Yingrui", and "Yixian" as the pioneers, and the second fleet "Chu You", "Chu Tai", "Zhengning", "Suining", "Qingtian", "Hupeng", "Hushang", "Pingming", and "Jiesheng" as the main battle fleets of warships such as the Japanese army launched an unequal battle with the Japanese fighter jets that were attacking in Yanziji.

Although dozens of Swedish Fords 20mm four-barrel anti-aircraft guns deployed on the Yanziji Fort and the Wulongshan Fortress, as well as the sixteen German 88mm anti-aircraft guns on the Yanziji Fortress, as well as a large number of temporary light and heavy machine guns, they still failed to organize the Japanese army to bomb the Yanziji Fortress. The two old 280mm Krupp coastal defense guns were all destroyed by the Japanese army in the semi-open artillery position, and many of the German 32 times the caliber of the 150mm howitzers were also destroyed by the Japanese army.

The Chinese Navy warships on the river faced the huge group of Japanese aircraft, and cooperated with the firepower of the artillery to intercept the attack and bombing of Japanese fighter jets. You should know that after the first wave of invading Japanese fighter jets dropped bombs at several field airports in Jiangbei, they found that the main force of the Chinese Air Force was not there, so they immediately diverted the attack target and regarded the Yanziji Fortress, the Wulongshan Fortress, the China-*** heavy artillery group in Jiangbei, as well as the Chinese naval warships that came to support the river as the main targets.

For a moment, smoke was bursting on the Yanziji turret and the cannons rumbling! The Japanese bombers and fighters in the air were constantly hovering to find appropriate attack angles, while the anti-aircraft gun positions on the Yanziji turret continued to fire shells at Japanese aircraft.

If compared with the previous *** Empire Navy outside Wusongkou, the air defense firepower on both the Chinese Navy and the Yanziji Fortress seemed extremely fierce, but in fact they were fighting on their own and did not form an effective fire interception network at all. The effectiveness of air defense artillery should be a centralized and unified angle and unified regional targets. What is very helpless is that the navy cannot conduct unified and coordinated combat with the fort, and even the navy's own ships cannot concentrate on coordinated firepower.

If there is no certain number of anti-aircraft guns in fixed artillery positions, it is a very easy target for the influx of enemy aircraft. Although there are more than 20 Swedish Fords 20 mm four-bar anti-aircraft guns and a large number of light and heavy machine guns to supplement short-range air defense firepower, there are still nine German 88 mm anti-aircraft guns destroyed by Japanese bombers. The bomb positions of the bombed anti-aircraft guns are full of scattered corpses and broken limbs, and even people's internal organs are hung on the still red gun barrels, making a sizzling sound.

Although no Japanese plane was hit and fell, the losses of the Japanese army were too small. During this period, even Zhang Xuewu's command center was hit with three 500-pound bombs. After enjoying the earthquake, Zhang Xuewu frowned and stared at the sand table in a daze. He also found that his attack plan was too hasty and reckless. It might seem that he had been suppressed and beaten by the Japanese army for more than ten days, and the losses of various troops were severe.

That's why he was preparing to concentrate his air force to attack the Japanese air force. If he could sink a Japanese aircraft carrier, it would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to the morale of the Japanese army. However, now it seems that this idea is a bit inappropriate, and it may fully expose the strength of Nanjing's air force, and the corresponding price paid to attack the *** naval aircraft carrier seems to be too heavy.

In the eyes of the world, the army of the *** Empire is just second-rate, whether in terms of equipment, tactics, or even the command of the generals, but the naval forces of the *** Empire are the world's first-class. Zhang Xuewu also realized his impatience. This time, the Chinese Air Force's rash attack followed its own advice and rashly attacked may be a key point for a sharp turn for the Nanjing Defense War!

Although Gao Zhihang led the return fighter group to intercept the Japanese army's return flight group and shot down 39 Japanese fighter jets of various types, the oil and material of both sides were extremely limited and they could not fight at all, so they quickly left the battle.

This time, the Chinese Air Force headquarters and the Flying Tigers of the Rehe Legion, the Soviet Volunteer Aid China Airlines Group shot down 45 Japanese fighter jets, sunk the Japanese heavy cruiser Yaeyama, and three destroyers, severely damaging the Japanese Izumo battleship, Kaga aircraft carrier, Fengxiang aircraft carrier, Kazuki aircraft carrier, Kazuki aircraft carrier, Kazuki aircraft carrier, Kazuki aircraft carrier, Kazuki aircraft carrier and Kazuki aircraft carrier.

The Chinese Air Force and the Soviet Volunteer Aiding Air Force lost 56 bombers of various types, 39 destroyers and attack aircraft, and almost all of the fighter jets were injured, which was a huge loss.

The naval forces that attacked and assisted in the Yanziji Fort also suffered heavy losses. Eight ships including "Ying Rui", "Yixian", "Suining", "Qingtian", "Hupeng", "Hushang", "Pingming", and "Jiesheng" were sunk. The "Chu You" was stranded. The commander of the First Fleet Chen Jiliang was seriously injured. The other ships were also covered with scars. The huge losses of the navy made their main force equal to full losses. The surviving ships basically lost their combat effectiveness and retreated to Wuhan to rest and prepare for another battle.

In fact, this large-scale air strike is equivalent to the Chinese Air Force bombing the Japanese fleet and the Chinese dispatched fleet, while the Japanese bombing the Chinese field airports, fortresses and fleets. Both sides are equivalent to tyrannical abuse of the other side without air support.

Although the Japanese Chinese dispatched fleet outside Wusongkou looked thick and thick smoke on the surface, the overall strength of the Japanese army was not damaged. The Japanese aircraft carrier, which was repeatedly attacked and attacked, stood firm. The Chinese Air Force pilot's sacrifice of his life left a profound impression on the journalists of various countries who were watching the battle in the concession. The general rushed down from the sky, with a shrill whistling sound, was the roar from a nation or even a country!

After this battle, the Chinese Air Force, which was hit hard by the logistics airport, was able to protect the sky of Nanjing? The biggest weakness of the Chinese Air Force was undoubtedly exposed through this battle. That is, under the international joint military embargo, the Chinese Air Force's combat losses could not be supplemented at all, and the *** people could easily obtain support from the domestic market. This was a war of attrition that increased and decreased, and was destined to be unable to afford it by the joint military embargo of the United States, Britain, France and other countries.

Zhang Xuewu, who originally planned to boost the morale of the military and gave the Japanese army a heavy blow, also made a bad move. From a strategic and tactical perspective, Zhang Xuewu's suggestions were understandable, and it also corresponded to the offensive mentality of the Chinese Air Force, which has always had a certain advantage. However, whether it was Zhang Xuewu, the Chinese Air Force, or even the Soviet Volunteer Aid to China, they failed to consider that their large-scale attacks were actually what the *** people dreamed of. Fighting and consuming was originally the thing that the *** people disliked the most, but it became the magic weapon for the *** people to win over Nanjing.

After a blood-stained blue sky, the air force of the *** army and navy, which was unprecedented in Asian history and even in the world, the air force of the *** army and navy, who were eager to retaliate, set off again three hours apart, and once again attacked the *** field airport, completely defeating the combat power of the Chinese Air Force.

Whether it was Zhou Zhirou, Zhang Xuewu, or even the Soviet volunteer airline aid to China, they believed that the Japanese army had the ability to launch continuous attacks, but our army did not have the ability to face the enemy, so all fighters must be transferred immediately and fought one after another.

In a forest not far from Mengzhuang, an unknown small village on the north bank, twenty-two Flying Tigers' last fighter planes were covered with camouflage camouflage cloth. Gao Zhihang looked at sixty-one subordinates and hundreds of ground crew members. Gao Zhihang's eyes were almost filled with tears, and only such people were left. However, these people were all extremely experienced pilots and ground crew members. These people were precious seeds of the Rehe Air Force. They accumulated rich experience during the battle with the Japanese invaders in Shanghai and Nanjing, and no one of them could be sacrificed easily.

Gao Zhihang took a deep breath, glanced at a female lieutenant reporter from the Central Daily News beside him, and said to everyone: "In order to make the next move, if Nanjing falls to defend Xuzhou, Wuhan is making strategic progress, and the Soviet Volunteer Air Force is also making strategic progress. All their airports were destroyed by the Japanese army, and the ground crew suffered huge losses. Many equipment and spare parts were destroyed by air strikes, but our Flying Tigers cannot leave. Our corps commander is still in Nanjing. As long as there is a Chinese fighter jet over Nanjing, we must defend this sky until the last second, not to mention that we still need twenty-two fighter jets to defend Nanjing and defend the Legion Commander! Let us leave the unforgettable pain for the *** people! Let them remember the defenders of this sky! Flying Tigers!"

Since Zhang Xuewu appointed as the commander of the Yanziji garrison, Peng Mengji has been working diligently. He checked the defense line and artillery deployment every day, and prepared to deal with various attacks and attacks from the Japanese army. The army was assigned to the 41st Division to guard Yanziji with all its strength. Peng Mengji has coordinated with the 41st Division many times for the firepower assistance and fortification construction of the fortress and the 41st Division. Because the two sides are coexisting, both sides are quite proactive in coordination.
Chapter completed!