Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Upon hearing that there were medium bombers, Li Yunlong immediately became excited.

The attack aircraft currently equipped by the new regiment can basically perform the tasks of light bombers. In addition, they can not only perform some air combat missions as fighters, but also provide close support to infantry, counter-fortification, and strike enemy ground forces and tactical targets.

The attack aircraft and P-38 modified reconnaissance fighters equipped by the new regiment are all versatile.

However, attack aircraft and reconnaissance fighters have limited payload and short range.

The Eighth Route Army did indeed need a medium-sized bomber to carry out tactical bombing strikes against enemies further away and in deeper areas.

For example, bombing Japanese airfields in Northeast China, decapitating Japanese command posts, and bombing enemy bridges and supply lines.

The payload and range of a medium bomber are unmatched by attack aircraft and fighter jets.

"How is the performance?" Commander Li immediately asked.

Zhang Dabiao and the other operations staff members standing nearby also pricked up their ears.

Even with a casualty ratio of 1:10 against the Japanese and puppet troops, the First Army had over 100,000 Japanese and puppet troops combined.

The military also suffered more than 1 casualties.

However, this is only the casualty ratio in field battles; the Japanese would not fight the Eighth Route Army in the field indefinitely.

Once the fighting enters urban warfare mode, it becomes a true meat grinder, with the casualty ratio between the two sides approaching 1 to 1.

Equipping the Eighth Route Army with a medium-sized bomber would not only inflict significant casualties on the Japanese, but also reduce the number of Eighth Route Army soldiers who would die.

"Take a look for yourself." Zhao Gang handed the telegram to Li Yunlong.

Li Yunlong took the telegram and read it eagerly. Lin Feng first congratulated them on their great victories in the air battles of Daguzhen and Xinxian.

"In this battle, we shot down a total of 64 Japanese aircraft, including 30 fighters and 34 bombers."

"A total of 98 Japanese pilots were killed."

After reading the data on the enemy planes shot down, Li Yunlong immediately beamed with joy.

Zhang Dabiao and his operations staff had grins that almost reached their ears.

Zhao Gang said, "According to our agreement with Boss Lin, we can get the price of one plane for shooting down one Japanese plane, and we can get the price of two planes for shooting down one Japanese pilot."

"If we exchange them all for airplanes, our new regiment can directly obtain 260 airplanes this time."

In the battle of Xinzhou, the headquarters air regiment was also commanded by Li Yunlong, so the victory was also attributed to Li Yunlong.

However, Li Yunlong could not possibly replace all of them with airplanes.

Although Mr. Lin could supply unlimited quantities of ammunition such as aerial bombs, rockets, napalm, 12.7mm bullets, and 20mm cannon shells.

However, aviation fuel had to be exchanged for the price of the aircraft and the Japanese pilots, and the price has now increased.

The price of one aircraft can be exchanged for 300 tons of aviation fuel, and the price of one pilot can be exchanged for 600 tons of aviation fuel.

Compared to fighter jets and attack aircraft, medium bombers are heavier, have a larger payload, and a longer range, making them even more fuel-intensive. Zhang Dabiao smiled broadly: "I knew the planes Boss Lin gave us were very powerful, but I didn't expect them to be this powerful. In air combat, they achieved a casualty ratio of 1 to 16."

"The main reason is that we have radar," Zhao Gang said. "Our planes know the location of the Japanese planes and can launch a surprise attack from behind the Japanese planes. But then again, the radar was also provided by Boss Lin."

Zhang Dabiao said with great satisfaction, "Anything produced by Boss Lin is bound to be of high quality, and the medium bomber is certainly no exception."

"Medium bomber," Li Yunlong said after reading Lin's telegram. "Bomb load 2.5 tons, range 2500 kilometers, equipped with 18 12.7 mm machine guns."

To Li Yunlong's surprise, Lin, the boss, directly selected the aircraft model for the new regiment this time.

Instead of presenting dozens of aircraft models for the new regiment to choose from, as they did last time, which left Li Yunlong overwhelmed with choices, this time they presented a different option.

Like the fighters and attack aircraft equipped by the new regiment, this medium bomber has its engine performance enhanced as always. Compared to the original two Wright R-2600-92 Cyclone engines, although the new engine is still a Wright engine, it adopts the new R-3350 series eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial engine. The external design is also different from the original US military engine, and the cabin design has been optimized to reduce air resistance.

Because of its more streamlined and linear design, lower air resistance, and more powerful new engine, its payload and range are both superior to those of the original US bombers.

Of course, it was only late March 1940, and the prototype of this bomber had not yet been manufactured by the US military. Moreover, the cabin had been redesigned, the propellers were different, and the engines had been improved, so the two were almost not the same aircraft.

Upon hearing these performance figures, everyone's eyes lit up.

Zhang Dabiao even took out a national map and used a scale to draw the combat radius of this medium bomber on the map:
"If our medium bombers take off from Daguzhen Airport in northwestern Shanxi, they can bomb half of China. To the east, they can bomb the Japanese forces in Changchun and Shenyang; to the south, they can bomb Nanjing, Hefei, Wuhan and other places, providing air support for the New Fourth Army; to the west, they can cover Lanzhou, Yinchuan and other places in the northwest; and if they take off from Taiyuan Airport, they can reach Chongqing and Chengdu in the southwest."

"good."

Li Yunlong nodded in satisfaction, a broad smile on his face.

"Commander, when can we receive the goods?"

Zhang Dabiao asked impatiently.

With this bomber, he will be bolder and have a longer-term vision when formulating combat plans and contingency plans.

No longer confined to Shanxi Province, our strategic vision can be set on the entire North China Plain, or even a wider region.

"We can receive the goods tomorrow." Li Yunlong still had a big smile on his face. "After taking out another 200 Japanese planes and 400 Japanese pilots, we can obtain heavy strategic bombers with double the range."

"A heavy strategic bomber with double the range?" Zhang Dabiao's eyes widened immediately.

Li Yunlong's throat bobbed twice, his eyes burning with fervor. Even with a medium-sized strategic bomber that could double its range, it was barely enough to reach Japanese territory.

Zhao Gang was very clear-headed: "However, it is probably not so easy to simultaneously take down 200 Japanese planes and 400 Japanese pilots."

At its peak, the temporary air force regiment of the North China Area Army had only a little over 100 aircraft and about 200 pilots.

Even after being expanded into the 3rd Flying Division, and with 64 of its aircraft destroyed by the New 1st Regiment, the North China Area Army currently has only about 100 aircraft.

"It's all up to human effort." Commander Li was full of energy. He looked at Zhang Dabiao and said, "Dabiao, you'll have to work hard these next few days to develop a bombing plan and contingency plan for bombing the Japanese airfields in Northeast China. After this battle, we'll try our best to get heavy bombers."

"Yes." Zhang Dabiao's eyes were sharp as knives, and then he asked, "Commander, how many medium bombers and how many tons of aviation fuel do you plan to receive this time?"

Formulating a bombing plan requires not only relevant enemy intelligence, but also sufficient supplies of friendly aircraft, pilots, crew members, ammunition, and fuel. (End of Chapter)