Bright Sword: Leading the Special Operations Squadron to Fight the Japs

Nakaike Sanfu took a deep breath. There was no cover at all and no air defense prepared. It would be strange if the losses were minimal!

"Go ahead, I'll try my best to hold on!"

"More than 2,300 soldiers were killed, 15 vehicles of various types were lost, 12 artillery pieces were lost, and countless other supplies were destroyed."

Zhongchi Sanfu took a deep breath. He regretted it now. He should not have stayed in the North China battlefield. Originally, they were to be transferred to the Pacific battlefield to fight against the Americans, but they were afraid of the powerful firepower of the Americans who were armed to the teeth, so they took the initiative to apply to stay in the North China battlefield.

Now that I think about it, it was really like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth, seeking one's own death!

Before even having a chance encounter with the independent column, they had lost more than one-tenth of their troops. What the hell kind of war are they fighting?

Nakaike Sanfu now wants to find a shoulder to lean on. This is too bullying! How can you fight a war like this? Don’t bombs cost money? Don’t aviation kerosene cost money?

"Quick, let Okamura Neiji deal with the planes of the independent column!"

Okamura Neiji, who was far away in Peking, seemed to have heard Nakaike Sanfu's curse and actually sneezed twice.

"General Okamura Yasuji, General Nakaike Sanfu of the First Division called and said that the First Division had been bombed twice by the Independent Column on the way and suffered heavy losses. He asked the North China Front Army to solve the air defense problem immediately, otherwise..."

Okamura Ningji frowned and shouted in a low voice:

"Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise they will immediately withdraw from the North China battlefield in order to achieve the effect of protracted warfare!"

"Baga, the arrogant Kwantung Army actually dared to threaten me! Let him die!"

The Japanese radio soldier stood still and dared not move. He knew what Okamura Neiji said in anger. How could he turn against the First Division now? The First Division of the Kwantung Army was the most powerful unit this time!

It took five minutes for Okamura Neiji to calm down.

"This Guandong doesn't even take the Army General Staff seriously, let alone a small commander of the North China Front Army like me! Call him back, and I will order all 250 planes mobilized for Operation Plan No. 1 to take off to cover his capture of Jiyuan!

However, if under such circumstances, he still cannot capture Jiyuan and quickly cross the river, I will doubt his command ability and report the truth to the General Staff Headquarters and the Emperor! "

"Hayi!"

Okamura Neiji was not completely afraid of the 1st Division, but he had deeply experienced the strength of the Independent Column Air Force. Both the advancement of the fighter planes and the combat skills of the pilots had reached a level that surpassed the Imperial Air Force.

Two hundred and fifty planes took off from Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, Handan, Xinxiang, Kaifeng and other airports and flew towards Jiyuan in a mighty manner.

Looking at the densely packed planes on the radar screen, the officer on duty immediately reported the information to Wang Meng.

"Chief of Staff, the Japanese have launched multiple fighter planes from airports in all directions and are flying towards Shanxi. Their target should be Jiyuan!"

"Haha, the Japanese are getting anxious. It looks like they are determined to protect their attacking First Division to the death! How many planes are there?"

"According to reports from various observation posts, there are estimated to be two to three hundred aircraft!"

"Good fellow! Give Lu Tianlong an order to have the 3rd to 6th Aviation Divisions prepare to take off and fight!

In addition, the Second Air Force Division is considering attacking the Japanese Shijiazhuang front-line airport, leaving them with no place to land their planes! "

Under the command of Lu Tianlong, planes from Pingshun Airport, Pingshun Field Airport, Changzhi and Jincheng took off quickly and began to intercept enemy planes from all directions.

At the same time, a fighter squadron and a bomber squadron of the Second Air Force Division in Ulanqab quickly refueled, loaded ammunition, and took off, flying along the mountains towards the Japanese Shijiazhuang Airport.

The old Japanese soldier Nakaike Sanfu breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the telegram from Okamura Yasuji.

"Humph, it seems that we still need to put pressure on them, otherwise we might be bombed to death by the planes of the independent column! Order the troops to attack at full speed and make sure to capture Jiyuan before the air battle is over!"

Without the harassment from the independent column's aircraft, the Kwantung Army's 1st Division finally arrived at Lilin Town, five kilometers east of Jiyuan, at ten o'clock in the morning.

"Orders: The 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, the Yokosuka Heavy Artillery Regiment, and the 2nd Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment to immediately establish positions and launch an artillery attack on Jiyuan in one hour!

The 1st Infantry Brigade assembled in Xin'an Village in the southeast of Jiyuan, the 2nd Infantry Brigade assembled in Wulongkou in the northeast of Jiyuan, the 2nd Cavalry Brigade and the 2nd Tank Regiment assembled in Lilin Town. Once the artillery coverage was completed, the attack was launched immediately!

The First Engineer Regiment built a pontoon bridge in Zhaojiazhuang, south of Jiyuan, ready to cross the river at any time! "

Nakaike Sanfu spoke out his long-planned plan in one breath like a machine gun, as if it was revenge, and he actually felt a bit of pleasure, although there was no sign of Jiyuan being captured or the independent column being fleeced.

However, without the interference of the Independent Column Air Force, he was confident that he could defeat any enemy!

The 3rd Field Artillery Brigade of the 1st Division consists of:

The 1st Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, the 7th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, and the 1st Field Artillery Regiment.

Each field heavy artillery regiment is equipped with 24 Taisho 150-year type mm howitzers.

(The Taisho 150th-year type 2800mm howitzer is one of the few heavy artillery pieces of the Japanese, weighing kilograms.

炮管长2190毫米（倍径14.7倍），口径150毫米（实际上149.1毫米），高低界-5°~+65°，方向射界左右各3°。

炮口初速389米/秒，最大射程8800米，可使用破甲榴弹、10年式钢性铣榴弹、榴霰弹、92式榴弹、11年式榴弹、13年式发烟弹等多种弹药。）

The 36st Field Artillery Regiment is equipped with 120 Type mm howitzers.

(The Japanese were equipped with a Type 120 1275mm howitzer, which weighed kg.

炮管长1455毫米（倍径12倍），口径120毫米，垂直射界-5°~+43°，水平射界左右各5°。

The maximum range is 5800 meters, the muzzle velocity is 275 meters per second, and the firing rate is 7 rounds per minute.

The Second Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment was equipped with 24 Type 80 12mm anti-aircraft guns, 75 Type mm anti-aircraft guns, and a large number of Type anti-aircraft machine guns.

The Japanese's 72rd Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, plus the Yokosuka Heavy Artillery Regiment directly under the division, had a total of 150 Taisho 36-year Type 120mm howitzers and Type mm howitzers.

There are also a large number of anti-aircraft guns!

However, the independent column equipped each army with a direct artillery division, which included two 150mm self-propelled howitzer regiments, an 88mm anti-aircraft artillery regiment, and an artillery regiment code-named X.

(Each self-propelled howitzer regiment is equipped with 150 40mm self-propelled howitzers.

The anti-aircraft artillery regiment is equipped with 88 40mm anti-aircraft guns.

The X Artillery Regiment is equipped with 40 X-type guns.)

The heavy artillery of just one direct artillery division is more than that of the Japanese, and when combined with the artillery brigades of each army and the artillery regiments of each division, they directly crush the firepower advantage that Nakaike Sanfu is proud of!