Chapter 23: The Japanese Army's Raid
At the airport in Hankou, Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Fleet, Admiral Inoue Seiichi, gazed at a beautifully shaped new fighter plane taking off from the control tower. This was the "Zero" carrier-based fighter that had been secretly test-flying. The naval aviators were working hard to master the flying skills of this new type of fighter, which was designated as A6M2 Zero Model 11. Its performance far surpassed that of the existing Navy's Type 96 carrier-based fighter, particularly in terms of its turning and climbing capabilities, with a speed exceeding 500 km/h. Of course, what made Inoue Seiichi most satisfied was its range: normally it could reach 2220 kilometers, and with an auxiliary fuel tank of 330 liters, it could fly up to 3350 kilometers, which was sufficient for escorting bombers flying from Hankou to bomb Chongqing.
"The bombers of Great Japan will soon no longer need to face the fighter planes of China alone!" Inoue Shigemi said with great fanfare. Although he had some concerns about the weak armor on the cockpit and fuel tanks of this fighter plane, he believed that its good performance and the high skills of Japanese pilots would be enough to guarantee not being hit.
However, there is one thing that has been troubling Inoue Shigemi, and that is the current inability to conduct good reconnaissance on the Chinese Air Force. The 97-type command reconnaissance aircraft sent out have been shot down by the Chinese Air Force multiple times, and it is clear that the Chinese Air Force already has a fighter with a speed of over 480 km/h. According to the boasts in the Chinese newspapers, this fighter may be obtained from the Soviet Union, perhaps a Yak-1 or MiG-3. The extremely high loss rate makes every reconnaissance aircraft sortie a solemn occasion for pilots and radio operators to bid farewell to others, severely affecting morale. Inoue Shigemi has already ordered that no more reconnaissance aircraft will be sent out to die before the new 100-type command reconnaissance aircraft is formally equipped by the Navy. The maximum speed of the 100-type command reconnaissance aircraft is said to reach 600 km/h, which is something that none of the world's current fighters can match, not even the "Zero" currently being equipped, and Inoue Shigemi is full of confidence in this regard.
The spy who was originally hiding in Chongqing could still send back intelligence, but after the loss on June 22, Nogami Seikin and others believed that the spy had been captured or turned around and no longer dared to believe the intelligence he sent back.
Deprived of intelligence support, Inoue Yasushi was having great difficulty completing "Operation 101". The successor to Yamaguchi Tamon, Lieutenant General ōnishi Takijirō strongly suggested a one-time mobilization of all bombers and escort reconnaissance planes for reconnaissance. Reduce losses through dispersed attacks and retreat upon encountering the enemy.
"Alas, it seems that in order to smoothly complete 'Operation 101', we have no choice but to adopt this method." Inoue Shigeyoshi sighed and muttered to himself. The resources of the Great Japanese Empire were also relatively scarce, and this time, supplementing the first and second combined air fleets' attack aircraft and pilots had required mobilizing connections in the military department to arrive within a month's time; for this, Inoue Shigeyoshi was even scolded severely. Thinking that the "Zero" fighter planes still did not possess the conditions for taking off, and still needed these attack aircraft to cooperate with reconnaissance planes to gather intelligence, Inoue Shigeyoshi felt somewhat helpless.
"Wait until the end of August when our formal changeover is complete, and I'll make sure those Chinese air forces get a good look!" Inoue Shigemi said fiercely, immediately ordering his deputy to summon the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Air Strike Command, Nishi Tetsurō.
Historically, this Taichi Narita was also a "celebrity". He was also an advocate for aircraft carrier and carrier-based aircraft tactics in the Navy, had foreseen the coming of the independent air force era, and was the main author of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office's "Research on Air Armament" (1937).
In 1937, after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out, Nagano personally experienced air battles and bombings, and strongly advocated for the use of naval aviation units to conduct large-scale strategic bombing of major Chinese cities, in order to crush the morale of Chinese soldiers and civilians. The Japanese military command issued a draft of "Naval Important Matters (Air War Part)" on April 10, 1940, to all fleet commanders, garrison commanders, and important port commanders, proposing to implement "key point attacks" on China, that is, attacking China's military, political, and economic centers to terminate their functions, and destroying China's important resources and transportation lines to achieve its strategic goals. According to the content of this draft, the Japanese military command designated Chongqing, where the National Government was located, as the primary target for "key point attacks", and formulated the "101 Operation Plan". The indiscriminate bombing of Chongqing caused blood and flesh to fly on the streets, people's lives were ruined, and this once prosperous southwestern city became a hell on earth. Nagano Osami owed the Chinese people a debt of blood for this.
At the same time, Nagumo was also a confidant of Isoroku Yamamoto and personally drafted the plan for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, although he did not agree with it. In December 1941, when the Pacific War broke out, Nagumo led his 11th Air Fleet to fight in the Philippines, defeating MacArthur's air force with brilliant results. In the later stages of World War II, Japan also carried out "Kamikaze" attacks under his plan.
After Japan's surrender, Lieutenant General Masafumi Arima left a note saying: "To the spirits of those who died in the Special Attack Corps, I offer my deepest gratitude for your noble sacrifice. You believed in our certain victory and gave your lives for the country, but our shared belief was not realized. I must apologize to you in death. Next, I want to tell young people in general. Please do not think of my death as a frivolous enemy-friendly act. I hope that you will endure what is hard to endure, bear what is hard to bear, and follow the Emperor's final edict. Enduring and bearing hardships will not make you lose your pride as Japanese. You are all pillars of the country. Even in peacetime, we must maintain the spirit of Special Attack, doing our best for the welfare of the Japanese people and world peace." To express his apology, Arima did not ask for a "kaishakunin" (a person who beheads the one performing seppuku to hasten death), so he died 15 hours after cutting his abdomen.
Actually, as a person, Taishi Hirai seems more like a "scholar". He occasionally recites poetry and has a great reputation in Japan's military circles during World War II. The "last letter" of his "Kamikaze Special Attack Force Song" is still enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine today, serving as a witness to its sinful history. Fervent militarism and bushido spirit turned Taishi Hirai from a "scholar" into a war maniac, this is the original historical space of He Juncai.
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For He Junci, time quickly arrived on July 31st. During this period, he was extremely busy, not only did he have to serve as a coach for the pilots of the eleventh squadron, but also arrange various scheduling tasks at the floating airbase. The new recruits from the Air Force's First Battalion were constantly coming in shifts for adaptive training, and everything was in disarray. Moreover, controlling takeoffs and landings, resupplying, and other matters at the floating airbase required He Junci to personally oversee them. As a result, after so many days in this time-space, aside from attending meetings, he hadn't had a chance to properly stay on the ground for a while.
Now that everything is on track, He Juncai hurriedly asked for a day off from the commander-in-chief of the combat command post, Mao Bangchu, and entrusted the work of the fourth route command post to Zheng Shaoyu, a middle school student. He planned to go back to his hometown of Nanchong to visit his relatives, who were still very young or not yet born.
On July 31st, He Juncai took the DC-2 shuttle from the floating base to Chengdu Taiping Airport. The three squadrons of the Fifth Squadron were stationed here. From 1938 to now, Chengdu has also been bombed several times, but thanks to the efforts of the Chinese Air Force, the losses are not too great. However, He Juncai knew that after August, the situation would be more severe, as Japanese bombers would have the famous "Zero" fighter jets escorting them. Although only 50 Zero fighters were deployed on the Chinese battlefield in the original timeline, due to their superior performance and Japan's elite pilots, China's current outdated fighter jets had no way to deal with them. In the original history, on March 14th, 1941, the Fifth Squadron encountered Japanese Zero fighter jets and suffered heavy losses. After the incident, Yang Hesong, the commander of the Second Route Command of the Air Force, was removed from his post due to poor command. The Fifth Squadron was disbanded and renamed the Nameless Squadron, with all members wearing a "shame" armband to remind them of the humiliation suffered by the Chinese Air Force.
He Juncai did not go to disturb the air force stationed at the airport, but instead took a low-key ride in a jeep directly to the city. Since Nanchong's Doujunba Airport is not yet built, the most convenient way now is to drive from Chengdu to Nanchong.
After entering the city, He Juncai suddenly changed his mind and asked the driver to go to Chunxi Road. He had long heard that Chunxi Road was the most prosperous place in Chengdu and also a good place to "appreciate" beauties, so he decided to go there for an "inspection". As soon as the car arrived at Chunxi Road in the southeast of Chengdu, the air raid sirens suddenly sounded. "Woo~woo~woo~", the long and short horn sounds whistled through the high-visibility sky above Rongcheng, and red lanterns were hung on the four city gates.
Suddenly, the streets were crowded with people, dust flying everywhere, the sound of frantic footsteps, the shrill cries of men and women, the clanging of rickshaws, the screeching of pedicabs, all blending into a human tide rushing towards the outskirts. At this moment, civilian defense teams, braving the impending air raid, directed traffic at street corners, city gates, gaps in the walls, bridges, and ferry crossings, maintaining order to facilitate the rapid evacuation of people to the suburbs.
"No way? So unlucky." He Juncai was startled, he didn't think the war was so close to him.
"Sir, get down and take cover quickly!" The deputy officer with rich anti-air experience knew that the military vehicle was a key bombing target for bombers, so he hastily ordered the driver to stop the car and prepare to find an air raid shelter immediately.
But today's air raid warning was clearly late, and 12 formations of Japanese bombers had already appeared in the sky, too far away to distinguish whether they were the Japanese Navy's 96 land-based attack aircraft or the Army's 97 heavy bomber, but either way, it would bring great disaster to people running around and hiding on the ground. The rumble of planes grew louder and closer. Enemy planes targeted Chunxi Road, a bustling area in the city, and began to descend to prepare for bombing.
"Get down, get down!" The deputy officer quickly pressed He Juncai behind a stone mill by the side of the street. It was too late now! "Boom boom boom" Continuous explosions sounded. With the roar of the bombs hitting the ground, a smoke screen rose from the flat ground, blocking out the sun, and flames shot up into the sky. It turned out that the Japanese bombing not only dropped high-explosive bombs but also incendiary bombs!
While the Japanese bombers were dropping bombs, a little girl, perhaps separated from her mother, stood in the middle of the road crying. "Little sister, come quickly!" He Juncai noticed this critical situation, while others had already fallen to the ground or hid under houses, only this little girl was standing alone there crying. The little girl might have been scared out of her wits, not knowing what to do, and screamed for her mother in a hoarse voice.
"Come quickly!" Just as Japanese bombers were roaring in this direction, He Juncai's blood rushed to his head and he yelled with wide eyes. The little girl still didn't move, "It's all over!" He Juncai suddenly ran out, just as he picked up the little girl, he felt his body being thrown high into the air, slamming onto the ground and losing consciousness.
"Sir, wake up, sir!" He Juncai seemed to have returned to his own time and space, but the deputy officer's loud shout brought him back to this tragic world of war.
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The first wave of Japanese bombers in the sky had completed their bombing, and the second wave was preparing to drop bombs. At this time, 3 I-16 fighters that took off urgently finally arrived.
Due to the sudden bombing of the airport, only the deputy commander of the 24th squadron of the 5th Air Group, Gong Yetai, successfully took off with 5 I-16 fighter jets. However, after taking off, it was discovered that two aircraft were underpowered and had to return. Commander Gong led the remaining three aircraft to arrive over the Chengdu city area. Seeing the Japanese bombers preparing to drop bombs again, Gong Yetai glared with anger, stepped on the control stick, and made a charging gesture with his hands to Chen Shaosheng and Wang Yunlong flying behind him, then accelerated towards the enemy planes. Gong Yetai's first shot accurately hit one of the bombers, piercing several holes in it. The bomber, seeing that things were not going well, abandoned its original bombing route and turned right to escape.
Other Japanese bombers saw only three Chinese air force fighter jets, and they rushed up to try to force the bombing. One of the bombers fired at the fighter jet while opening the bomb bay, and the bomb was about to fall into the city below. At this moment, Chen Shaosheng, who was following Gong Xianyi's left rear, had been attacking several times without success, and was hit by the enemy plane's crossfire on his left wing, making the plane unable to maneuver flexibly. He saw the situation, roared, and drove the plane directly at the bomber that was about to drop the bomb. The pilot of that bomber suddenly found an I-16 fighter jet rushing towards his plane, and for a moment he was so scared that he forgot to dodge. With a loud crash, the two planes collided, and the I-16 disintegrated instantly at high speed, while the Japanese bomber was knocked off half its body and fell down.
Wang Yunlong saw his comrades choose to fight the enemy with all their might, gritting their teeth. Four machine guns fired fiercely at the enemy plane. However, a string of bullets from the Japanese bomber's machine gun happened to hit the unopened cockpit, shattering the front instruments and control system, making the plane uncontrollable. Wang Yunlong's legs and shoulders were also injured by the bouncing shells, and he had no choice but to climb out of the cockpit and parachute down. However, the Japanese bombers did not let up on Wang Yunlong, who was parachuting down. Several bombers that had completed their bombing mission rushed over together, firing their machine guns at Wang Yunlong, who was unable to dodge under his parachute, shooting out strings of bullets. Wang Yunlong was almost shattered in mid-air.
In the air, only one plane was left, and Gōng Yè Tì was surrounded by enemy bombers. The aircraft's body and wings were hit in many places. At this critical moment, Gōng Yè Tì also gave up hope of survival. He chose an enemy plane that was heading straight for him and charged forward. This plane was the leader of the bomber formation, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Ike no Chōjirō. Ike no Chōjirō seemed to see death beckoning him. "No, I won't let it happen," he thought, remembering his newborn son, Ike no Shigeta. "I want to live." He pushed the control stick forward, and the bomber dodged nimbly to the side. Taking advantage of this opening, Gōng Yè Tì accelerated and broke through. At that moment, the I-152s that had taken off later arrived, and Gōng Yè Tì was able to return safely.
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On the ground, He Juncai only came to his senses at this time, touched his body, and found that he was only scratched. "Where is the little girl?" He Juncai asked the deputy officer. "When you were unconscious just now, her family took her back," the deputy officer replied. He Juncai let out a sigh of relief and stood up with the help of the deputy officer.
What he saw was a doomsday scene that would only be seen in disaster movies later. Due to the bombing of the densely populated city center, this loss was extremely severe, with large fires everywhere. Running protection team members were putting out fires and rescuing people everywhere. People pulled out one body after another from the fire heap, some with their heads and faces burned, their bodies still intact; some were burned into a black charred mass that could not be identified at all; and some were burned to only leave a skeleton, which was unbearable to look at. Next to He Juncai lay the body of a child who had been blown up by shrapnel from the bomb explosion, with only half of his skull left. Seeing this tragic scene, everyone present was in tears. Behind the Xin Xin News Agency across the street, several women who were hiding there were killed by the bombing. They all still held children under the age of 3 in their arms!
Seeing this scene, He Juncai finally deeply felt the pain of this time and space. This is something that can't be experienced by just looking at photos or reading history books. Only by being in the midst of it can one know how his parents, brothers, children were struggling to survive under the brutal rule of the Japanese invaders. Tears welled up in He Juncai's eyes, his fists clenched tightly, he wanted to remember all this deeply in his heart, and return everything that China has suffered today.
The driver found that the abandoned jeep was not destroyed, and together with the deputy officer, they dispersed a few thugs who attempted to rob them, pulled He Juncai into the car, and rushed to the airport. The trip to Nanchong was cancelled.
It's weekend again!
There were minor changes in the previous chapters, and they will be updated together at night!
