The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 323 The Air Force's First Battle (Part 1) (Combined Chapter)

Speaking of which! Among all the forces in Shanxi Province, the first to know that Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment were going to attack Pingding County and annihilate the Japanese Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade was naturally our Party.

The moment Hu Biao decided to attack Pingding County, Zhao Zheng immediately telegraphed the Party with all of this.

Therefore, even though it was necessary to keep the secret that Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment had officially joined our Party, we still did our best to do something.

The most important point was that, under the guise of jointly resisting Japan, the Party's armed forces in various parts of Shanxi Province were ordered to help block Japanese reinforcements as much as possible.

Unfortunately, our party's various units are severely lacking in equipment, and radios for communication are currently only available at the brigade level.

Even though division-level units immediately dispatched messengers after receiving the order, each of their subordinate units was still far away, even farther than the distance between the battalions of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment and Zhangjiayu back then.

By the time the messenger arrives, it will probably be too late.

Fortunately, even without orders from superiors, the military commanders of each unit were all veterans who had been immersed in war for many years and had rich combat experience.

Once they realized something was wrong, they issued a series of powerful commands:
"I don't care where these Japanese devils are going or what they're planning to do. Even if they're going to a feast, they can't expect to pass through my defense zone safely."

"Pass on my order: the entire regiment is to move out and prepare to snipe..."

"Are the Japanese devils crazy? Why are they rushing this way?"
That's right! They must be heading to Pingding County. It seems the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 9 is about to suffer a great loss. No wonder he's called Hu Biao the Tiger of Shanghai. There are more than 5,000 Japanese soldiers here.

"With such a big event, I definitely have to lend a hand..."

"Pass on my orders! Don't be stingy and reluctant to part with these little things. Immediately destroy all roads and bridges along the defense zone, and then launch a full-scale harassment attack on the Japanese troops."

I see these are all Japanese soldiers traveling in big trucks, how can they possibly be fast..."

In other words, these numerous grassroots military commanders of our Party, without any prior communication, managed to achieve excellent coordinated operations with Hu Biao and his men...

The second force that knew about Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment's operational plan and objectives was Yan Xishan.

His men, who had helped escort weapons to a company in Zhangjiayu, are now still staying at the base, using the excuse that the wounded soldiers from that night haven't recovered.
Naturally, they learned about the details of this operation and sent the information back via a secretly carried radio.

At the same time, more details about the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment were also sent back.

For example, Hu Biao and his group of more than 20 people had only been in Pingding County for a little over three months, but they had already developed a force of more than 10,000 people, and their equipment was already quite good.

Even more terrifying is the implementation of scorched-earth tactics.

The villagers obeyed the orders without hesitation, blocking the village well and tearing down their own houses.

Today, as we are about to engage in a major battle with the Japanese, many civilians have taken the initiative to help us. It can be said that our prestige and support have reached an astonishing level.

Because of all the above circumstances, Yan Laoxi was woken up from his bed in the early hours of the morning, wearing a cotton coat.

After putting down the telegram in his hand, he, who had just celebrated his 55th birthday not long ago, looked dejected, and his back seemed to have become more hunched, making him appear even older.

He muttered to himself, "There are wolves in front and tigers behind. The world is getting worse and worse."

The Japanese were already difficult to deal with, and now Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment have arrived. In just over three months, he has built up so many troops that Pingding County is now as impregnable as an ironclad fortress.

If Hu Biao had been given more time, a year or three years, he could have driven back the Japanese.

How many people still recognize me, Yan Laoxi? Will this Shanxi province still belong to me?

As he muttered to himself, the Prince of Jin, who had become a military governor 27 years earlier at the young age of 28, had already made up his mind and loudly gave his instructions:
"I order that all units of the Jin-Sui Army must not obstruct the Japanese troops passing through the area in the slightest."

Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished without exception.

That's right! Because Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment developed at such an astonishing, or rather terrifying, speed that Yan Xishan regarded them as a major threat.

Therefore, he wished that all his troops would be lost under the walls of Pingding City; so he ordered his Jin-Sui Army units not to obstruct the Japanese reinforcements.

Unfortunately, Yan Xishan soon discovered to his horror that a portion of his Jin-Sui army was no longer as obedient to his commands...

The third force to learn about Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment's operational plan and objectives was the bald-headed principal.

To be more specific, the bald principal had just arrived at his office early in the morning when his attendant came up to report that Boss Dai had an urgent military intelligence report.

Since it was an urgent military matter, the bald-headed principal naturally dared not delay and quickly let Boss Dai in.

After Boss Dai came in, he immediately reported that Hu Biao was fighting to pacify the county town and was preparing to annihilate another brigade of Japanese soldiers.

In addition to these, some other news and inferences were also reported.

Among these, the two most important points are:

Firstly, although the Military Intelligence Bureau has so far provided no evidence that Hu Biao or the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment joined our Party.

However, judging from the fact that our Party's troops in Shanxi Province have been fully cooperating with this operation during this period, the two sides have at least been exchanging pleasantries.

Therefore, the bald principal has to be wary of something like this.

Secondly, Yan Xishan's determination to fight the Japanese was still very firm; in the Battle of Xinkou and the Battle of Taiyuan, he even used his last reserves.

But people always change! Especially after the defeat in the Battle of Wuhan, Yan Xishan's determination to resist Japan clearly wavered; according to reliable intelligence, he had already made private contact with the Japanese side and was discussing the details and conditions of surrendering.

After this battle, Yan Xishan's desire to defect to the Japanese was probably even stronger.

After all, for Yan Laoxi, Shanxi Province, the territory he had cultivated for 27 years, was what he valued most.

Based on the above two points, Boss Dai's advice is that Hu Biao must not be allowed to continue developing in northwestern Shanxi, otherwise the consequences will be quite serious.

Whether it led to Hu Biao defecting to our Party or Yan Xishan defecting to the Japanese, the consequences were unbearable.

The latter, in particular, is because if Yan Xishan, with his status and prestige, were to defect to the Japanese, it would likely trigger a series of terrifying consequences.

There is indeed a historical fact about Yan Xishan's plan to defect to the Japanese, and they even reached an agreement on the terms.

In other words, his main generals strongly opposed it, and our party and the bald-headed principal also did a lot of work. In addition, the outbreak of the Pacific War made him see that the situation was starting to turn against the Japanese, so he finally did not defect.

Of course! These circumstances are not important to Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment in the current major battle.

Importantly, the bald principal made a decision in the face of Boss Dai's suggestion.

The reactions of all parties involved made this great battle even more exciting; soon, northwestern Shanxi was in complete chaos, and Shanxi Province, and even the surrounding areas, were also embroiled in fighting.

However, let's turn our attention back to Pingding County, the main battlefield...

******
At 6:53 a.m., it was basically completely light in Pingding County.

Although the temperature was still minus seventeen or eighteen degrees Celsius, the sky was cloudless and there was no wind or snow, making it a rare and perfect day for flying in winter.

Under such circumstances, the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment had only one aircraft in its air force.

And Mina's first aerial combat experience is about to begin.

About three or four miles southeast of Zhangjiayu, there is a rather special hilltop; the terrain here is relatively flat, with a natural runway of about 200 meters, just right for taking off old-fashioned propeller planes.

Therefore, this hill is currently being used as a field airfield for the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

After a lot of work, the plane that had been carefully hidden when the Japanese attacked was brought here by several mules.

Furthermore, some ground crew members, hastily trained by wizards and super-specs and barely qualified, have already made all the necessary preparations before takeoff.

They were facing Mina, who was wearing a flight leather jacket, large goggles, and a long white scarf around her neck, looking exceptionally cool.

After giving a military salute, he began to report loudly and repeatedly:

"Reporting to Commander Mi, the gasoline has been refueled, which theoretically allows for a flight range of about 700 kilometers."

"Reporting to Commander Mi, all ammunition is in place, with two Type 4 machine guns and a total of 200 rounds of ammunition; and four 25-kilogram aerial bombs of various types, including high-explosive and incendiary."

"Reporting to Commander Mi, the main equipment and structure of the aircraft have been inspected and no problems have been found. It is ready for takeoff at any time."

Amidst all the positive reports, Mina clattered up the ladder and climbed into the cockpit; outwardly calm, but inwardly she was in a panic.

It's not because Hu Biao's telegram demanded that she destroy the Japanese artillery positions and ammunition depots that she's under so much pressure.

Instead, it took the wizard and Chaozi a long time to repair the plane. After it was repaired, several days of strong winds and heavy snow made it impossible for Mina to test fly. When the weather improved slightly, the Japanese began their attack on the base.

In their haste, they had no choice but to hide the plane.

Therefore, this Type 95 fighter jet has only been theoretically repaired, and whether it can actually fly remains a question.

There was no other way! Given the limited resources, many makeshift methods were used during the repair of this aircraft.

For example, if the original landing gear tire burst, the blacksmith had to make an iron tire and pad it with a thick layer of rubber.

This thing can definitely rotate, but it will definitely affect the speed, resulting in a longer takeoff and taxiing distance.

One of the wings was broken off. The problem of riveting the wing frame during the repair process was relatively easy. The key issue was the outermost skin of the wing.

The original material used by the Japanese soldiers to cover their skin was a special type of canvas.

This thing definitely doesn't have a base; it can only be made of ordinary canvas with some basic waterproofing material. Not to mention whether it's reliable or not, the color is wrong, like putting a big patch on an airplane.

In short, no matter how you look at it, Mina, who was originally a rookie pilot, seems unreliable.

However, at this point, she had no other choice.

He sat in the cockpit, which didn't even have a canopy, and gestured to the ground crew to turn the propellers, help start the plane, and remove the ladder.

Then she gave the ground crew a thumbs-up and began to taxi the plane on the dirt runway.

In order to reach the maximum takeoff speed, the plane taxied until it was about ten meters from the end of the runway, and it looked like it was about to slide down the cliff.

Mina pulled the control stick, raising the nose of the plane in preparation for takeoff.

On the first pull, the plane failed to take off, and the poor girl was so frightened that her tea leaves were soaked with sweat.

Fortunately, when they were only three or four meters from the end of the runway, Mina gritted her teeth and pulled again, and the plane finally took off successfully.

After confirming that the thing could really fly, the girl awkwardly maneuvered the plane, making a circle over the airport before flying towards Pingding County.

During the flight, a long white ribbon around her neck fluttered in the biting wind, making the girl look incredibly stylish, or perhaps even a little flamboyant...

At 7:17 a.m., on the eastern city wall of Pingding County, Takeo Fujioka, who was lying on an observation post, raised his binoculars to observe the situation outside the city.

Throughout the entire process, the Japanese major general's face was filled with a complex mix of confusion and worry.

Puzzled! He simply couldn't understand why the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment would undertake such a large-scale civil engineering project.

About two hours ago, an astonishing number of people from all directions outside the city began digging numerous trenches extending towards the city walls, beyond the range of rifles fired from the city walls.

The speed of the excavation is quite astonishing; it has already excavated a considerable distance.

However, it would take a long time to dig within 100 meters of the city wall, at least until 2 or 3 pm.

This method of continuous digging is naturally quite advantageous for siege warfare; it can shorten the attack distance and reduce casualties among attackers as they approach the city walls.

However, Hu Biao had even arranged for personnel to take down the airport outside Taiyuan.

He would certainly expect that a large number of reinforcements are rushing to Pingding County, leaving him and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment with little time to attack the city.

In comparison, spending precious time on tunneling and approaching the target seems rather wasteful and illogical.

The concern stems from Fujioka Takeo's belief that while anyone else might make the same mistake, Hu Biao, the Tiger of Shanghai, would never.

Every action this dangerous man takes on the battlefield has a deeper meaning behind it.

It must have been that I hadn't figured out the opponent's true tactics for a moment, so I absolutely cannot be careless, or I will pay a huge price.

This is a valuable lesson learned by thousands of Imperial soldiers, officers, and even generals who gave their lives.

However, given the way their opponents are advancing, it's difficult for them to stop them.

Shoot? It had absolutely no effect; the enemy was all hiding in the trenches and didn't show their faces, so the bullets couldn't hit them at all.

The Type 89 grenade launcher? It was effective, but not very good, or rather, very limited; because unless the ammunition landed in a trench, it wouldn't have any killing effect.

Even for veterans using grenade launchers, accurately firing ammunition into a trench no more than one meter wide from a distance of nearly 400 meters is extremely difficult.

Fire the cannons? That would definitely be more effective; the city has plenty of shells in reserve.

However, Takeoka Fujioka was unsure when his reinforcements would arrive and wanted to use the shells in the most crucial battle.

After careful consideration, Fujioka Takeoma decided that he could not stand idly by and watch the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment continue its advance.

He immediately addressed the messenger beside him, saying, "Order the artillery to immediately bombard the area 400 meters east of the city."

Soon, a Japanese messenger stood on the city wall waving a flag.

The order was relayed to the artillery unit positioned in an open space in front of the Guandi Temple in the city.

Pingding County was not a large town to begin with, and then so many Japanese soldiers poured in.

So the Japanese deployed all 22 of their cannons in this one location, and piled all the shells aside for easy access.

They reasoned that the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment had no decent artillery and were not worried that their artillery positions would be destroyed in an artillery battle.

Upon receiving the order, the Japanese artillerymen quickly adjusted their gun barrels according to the pre-determined firing parameters.

After a few test shots, the 12 75mm mountain guns and field guns, plus 10 Type 92 infantry guns, immediately opened fire at full capacity.

In an instant, a barrage of shells rained down on the area outside the eastern city wall, creating a series of explosions.

Seeing this, Fujioka Takeo's furrowed brows did not relax much.

There's no other reason than that! The shelling was indeed more effective, but only to a limited extent. The shockwaves from the explosions and the flying shrapnel still couldn't cause any effective damage to the people in the trench.

Even shells that landed in the trenches had a lower kill effect than expected.

Because these trenches were dug quite cleverly, they were not simple straight lines; rather, after digging forward 20 meters, there would be a right-angle-like bend.

This confined the explosive power of the shells to this short stretch of trench, making it impossible for a single shell to hit and wipe out an entire trench of enemy soldiers.

On the contrary, the opponents did not stop digging even during the shelling.

Just as Fujioka Takekuma was somewhat at a loss, unsure whether to stop this wasteful bombardment, he suddenly heard his adjutant's joyful cheers:
"The plane, our plane is here! These guys from the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment will never be able to act so arrogantly again."

Upon hearing this, Fujioka Takekuma looked up and indeed saw an airplane swooping down from high altitude.

After hesitating for a second or two, he exclaimed, "Why is there only one fighter jet? Never mind, it's probably because Taiyuan Airport was in such a hurry that they could only find one pilot in time."

Immediately signal the pilot with signal flags, instructing him to attack the enemy forces digging outside the eastern city wall.

However, in the time that followed, even when the messenger waved the signal flag in his hand so hard that it flew up and his hand cramped up, he still managed to keep up.

The pilots on the plane acted as if they hadn't seen anything at all.

He controlled the plane and descended to an altitude of four or five hundred meters, but did not continue to dive towards the ground to straf the people digging on the ground.

Instead, it continued flying, passing over the heads of Fujioka Takeo and the others, and flew straight into the county town.

It was only when the plane flew overhead that Fujioka Takeo and the others were able to see more details about the aircraft, noticing the different tires and the patched-up wing skin on one side.

Finally, it dawned on me: something's not right! This plane might belong to the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

Immediately afterward, Fujioka Takeo, his face pale, frantically rose from his observation post and rushed to the other side of the city wall.

He shouted at the artillerymen who were waving and cheering at the plane, who were only a short distance away: "Evacuate! Evacuate quickly! This plane is not ours."

Unfortunately, by then it was all too late...

(End of this chapter)