Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 189 Showing a Movie (Part 2)
As the leaden sky was just beginning to tear open, before the dawn had even dispelled the chill of the valley, the roar of Japanese engines pressed down like the low growl of death.

Then, a sharp whistle shattered the brief silence, instantly igniting the entire valley, and streaks of orange-red flames suddenly appeared on the ridgelines on both sides of Wolf Valley.

Hundreds of Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns opened fire almost simultaneously, and the scorching flames spewing from countless muzzles merged into a rolling sea of ​​fire.

Countless dazzling tracer bullet trails tore through the gray sky, hurtling toward the diving Japanese warplanes (Type 97 heavy bombers and Type 99 fighters) at an astonishing speed.

They did not fire blindly, but were commanded by their respective gunners, forming a three-dimensional network of intersecting and chasing fire, attempting to lock the steel birds in a cage of death.

Tracer bullets, trailing scarlet contrails, tore through the morning mist, like countless angry fire serpents lunging at the steel birds.

Soon, a dazzling fireball suddenly exploded on the left wing of a Japanese plane, and the aluminum skin peeled off like paper. The pilot was seen falling from the sky, his figure drawing a tragic parabola in the air before suddenly opening up, with a white parachute floating in mid-air.

Then, next to the camera, a voice that seemed to be an observer suddenly shouted loudly, the hoarse voice sounding somewhat abrupt amidst the explosions: "Right turn... turn right immediately... area three... three dive bombers! Fire... fire..."

"Click click click..." Suddenly the orderly sound of cannon fire stopped, and then another sound rang out.

"Ammunition...load quickly...they're charging down..."

Hearing the anxious and somewhat desperate voice coming from the speakers, the Eighth Route Army leaders who were watching the movie all felt the same way, as if they were on the battlefield with cannon fodder everywhere.

Many people looked solemnly at the planes whizzing across the sky and the shells exploding in the air, as if they were thinking of a group of soldiers fighting with their lives against the invaders' ferocious planes on a battlefield filled with gunfire.

Fortunately, after waiting for about a few seconds, the anti-aircraft gun started moving again.

As the battle continued, the ground artillery fire seemed to intensify, with high-explosive shells exploding in the air, creating ferocious black and red clouds of smoke, and sharp shrapnel flying everywhere like a rainstorm, emitting a piercing shriek.

On the movie screen, Japanese planes roared sharply as they weaved through a sky full of fire.

Each near-miss explosion in the sky caused these planes to scramble to avoid the danger like startled birds, and to bounce violently like small boats in a stormy sea.

Aircraft were frequently hit by shells, their aluminum skins torn apart by sharp shrapnel. Some of the hit Japanese planes struggled to climb, trailing thick smoke, while others turned into fireballs amidst desperate screams, spinning as they plummeted into the depths of the valley, causing even larger explosions.

The officers and soldiers watching the scene on the screen cheered and applauded.

Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei stared at the screen without blinking, their faces filled with shock and excitement.

Kong Jie slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "That was awesome! In all my years in the army, this is the first time I've seen such dense ground artillery fire. It completely locked down the Japanese planes!"

Li Yunlong nodded, "The Shanxi militia is indeed formidable; their anti-aircraft guns are firing like hail."

If it were me, I would have immediately ordered cover, prioritizing the preservation of our strength. I wouldn't even dare to imagine the Shanxi militia confronting Japanese planes head-on like they did.

Ding Wei laughed and said, "Old Kong, did you hear that? This guy usually doesn't submit to anyone. Even if he's beaten to a pulp, at least his mouth is still tough. It's really rare to hear Old Li say something like that."

Those around Ding Wei burst into laughter upon hearing his words; Li Yunlong's stubbornness was well-known throughout the army. However, despite the laughter, a hint of shock and emotion was hidden in everyone's eyes, especially Brigade Commander Chen, the Division Commander, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, who were thinking even more deeply.

It's often said that laymen only see the spectacle, while experts see the details. If an ordinary person saw this scene, they might only marvel at the excitement and shout "It's so exciting!" But as high-ranking commanders, they knew far more about what was going on.

First, where did all these anti-aircraft guns come from? Second, judging from their firing frequency, each gun has a rate of fire of at least three or four hundred rounds per minute. Hundreds of anti-aircraft guns would fire thirty or forty thousand shells per minute, which is terrifying.

It should be understood that China's national strength at that time was so weak that it is unimaginable to people of later generations.

The price of a single mortar shell is equivalent to a year's income for an elderly farmer in Shaanxi. While a 20mm anti-aircraft gun shell is not as expensive as a mortar shell, it is not much cheaper either. Nowadays, tens of thousands of shells are fired in a single minute of anti-aircraft gun salvo. How many shells are fired in an hour?

This seemingly spectacular scene is all supported by the vast ocean of dollars.

The movie continued, and the sky seemed to be set ablaze.

Tracer rounds kept exploding in the sky, and artillery shells kept hitting the diving enemy planes.

Flashes of explosion followed one after another, illuminating the "Hinomaru" logo on the wing with a ghastly white light. Broken aluminum sheets and burning debris rained down, striking the rocks and sending sparks flying.

The air battle lasted for more than half an hour before it ended. As the last Japanese plane flew away into the distance, trailing black smoke, the narration began.

"In this air battle, our army deployed 126 Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns and 28 Bofors anti-aircraft guns to engage in a decisive battle with the invading Japanese aircraft. In the end, at the cost of losing 21 anti-aircraft guns and sacrificing 68 soldiers, we shot down 31 Japanese aircraft, effectively striking a blow to the arrogance of the Japanese army!"

"it is good!"

"Crash..."

As the explanation began, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the hall.

This short sentence contains the blood and sacrifice of countless brave soldiers, and for that alone it deserves their enthusiastic applause.

"It wasn't easy!" the deputy commander-in-chief sighed and said with emotion.

The division commander then said to Brigade Commander Chen beside him, "Your brigade will be launching an attack on Xin County in a few days. You must be extremely careful."

According to the telegram Su Yaoyang sent us, the Japanese have tied tens of thousands of civilians in Xinxian County to their arsenal. Once they realize they can't defend the arsenal, they will detonate it immediately. Therefore, how to safely and discreetly eliminate those Japanese soldiers is your primary problem to solve.”

"Commander, you're right. We've already discussed this matter. We must get our hands on this armory no matter what!"

"Alright...then the headquarters leaders and I will be waiting for your good news!"

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

(End of this chapter)