Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 266 Bombing Along the Way

The death of Nakano Hidemitsu was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely shattering the remaining fighting spirit of the 13th Regiment of the Japanese Army.

The already crumbling defense line collapsed instantly under the combined assault of the pirate squadron's saturation bombardment and the Independent Regiment's ground forces.

In the trenches, the gunfire gradually thinned out, replaced by the terrified screams and desperate wails of the Japanese soldiers.

Most of the Japanese soldiers were completely annihilated. Their bodies lay scattered in the trenches, mangled and bloody. Some were even blown to pieces, with only limbs remaining, mixed with mud and rubble. The air was filled with the strong smell of blood and the pungent odor of gunpowder.

The few surviving Japanese soldiers, under the threat of death, abandoned their armor and fled in panic towards the 47th Regiment like stray dogs, wishing they had two more legs.

Inside the command center of the Bell and Drum Tower, Su Yaoyang, who had just received the good news, had a triumphant smile on his lips.

He was preparing to issue orders for his troops to press on and completely annihilate the remaining Japanese troops, or even to directly attack the 47th Regiment and expand their gains.

Just then, a staff officer rushed into the command post, holding a newly translated telegram in his hand, his face showing an undisguised solemnity.

"Commander-in-Chief! Aerial reconnaissance shows that the Japanese 3rd and 13th Divisions are heading towards Yichang from Dangyang and Jingshan respectively, and are expected to arrive in Yichang by tomorrow morning!" The staff officer's voice was urgent, breaking the relaxed atmosphere of victory in the command post.

"Clap!"

The pencil in Su Yaoyang's hand fell to the ground with a soft thud onto the map.

His smile froze on his face instantly. His previously lightheaded mind was jolted awake as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. He jumped up from his chair, his eyes wide with disbelief and anger: "What?"

He stared intently at the staff officer in front of him, his chest heaving violently, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger: "Why didn't we receive any news about such a big matter beforehand?"
What is Cheng Rufeng good for?

His questions rained down on the staff officer like a machine gun, each word carrying a heavy weight.

The staff officer was intimidated by Su Yaoyang's anger. He lowered his head, his hands tightly gripping the telegram, his lips moved, but he didn't know how to answer.

He knew that this was not Cheng Rufeng's responsibility alone, but the negligence of the entire flight squadron, but faced with the commander's anger, he could only choose to remain silent.

Seeing the staff officer bowing his head and remaining silent, Su Yaoyang took a deep breath and tried to calm his anger.

He knew that getting angry now would not solve anything and would only delay the opportunity to win the battle.

Now that Japanese reinforcements were about to arrive, the original plan to defeat the 6th Division had to be adjusted. His eyes quickly scanned the map, and his mind raced as he considered new countermeasures.

Nowadays, time is the most precious thing.

He turned to his staff officer and said coldly, "Immediately tell Cheng Rufeng to deploy all his aircraft to launch an air raid on the Third and Thirteenth Divisions, at all costs, to delay their march."

Explode as many as you can, and stall for as long as you can!
Understand? "

Su Yaoyang's voice carried an unquestionable command.

"Yes!"

Upon receiving the telegram, Cheng Rufeng was filled with shame. He knew that his previous negligence in the investigation had led to the dangerous situation.

Soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders, and without any explanation, he immediately carried out Su Yaoyang's orders.

The piercing alarm, like a torn canvas, abruptly shattered the tranquility of the airport.

The pilots, who had been resting in small groups on the lawn, cleaning their weapons, or chatting idly, suddenly erupted into chaos, like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up. Forgetting their playing cards and cigarettes, they reflexively jumped up and rushed towards their respective fighter jets at top speed.

"Quick! Quick! Get moving!"

The ground crew also shouted nervously as they skillfully removed the fighter jet's securing cables, checked the fuel tanks, and loaded the ammunition.

The entire airport instantly erupted in a frenzy, with the roar of engines, the spinning of propellers, and the scrambling of people creating a tense yet orderly cacophony.

The pilots skillfully climbed into their respective cockpits, fastened their seatbelts, and put on their helmets.

Through the headset, Cheng Rufeng's slightly deep yet powerful voice came through.

"Brothers, this time it was my negligence, and the dereliction of duty of the reconnaissance squadron, that allowed the Japanese reinforcements to get right under our noses."

Cheng Rufeng didn't shirk responsibility at all, taking it all upon himself. His voice was filled with deep self-reproach, yet also revealed a man's unique fortitude.

"Originally, we should have discovered their tracks earlier, giving our army brothers more time. But now, we are at a disadvantage."

He paused, then his voice grew louder, carrying a resolute determination: "Now, we have no time to complain, nor time to wait."

The Japanese 3rd and 13th Divisions, two main forces, are advancing towards Yichang. If they arrive successfully, our brothers at the front will face even greater pressure.

"So what we need to do now is use our iron fists to smash these little devils back to their homeland! Let them know who the masters of this sky are!"

Cheng Rufeng's voice echoed in every pilot's earpiece.

He didn't resort to emotional appeals or exaggerations; he simply presented the facts and clearly conveyed the responsibilities and tasks to everyone.

The pilots listened quietly to their squadron leader's words, a resolute look in their eyes.

With Cheng Rufeng's command, the roar of engines once again resounded through the sky, and one after another, dark blue fighter jets began to taxi off the runway and soar into the horizon.

The pirate squadron, the air force personally built by Su Yaoyang, quickly revised its battle plan.

The original mission of suppressing the Japanese 6th Division was temporarily suspended, and all the focus of the attack was instantly shifted to the marching routes of the Japanese 3rd and 13th Divisions.

Cheng Rufeng personally led two pirate squadrons (i.e. fighter squadrons) and one SBD2 fearless dive bomber squadron, which split into two flight formations and flew in the east and west directions respectively.

The dark blue fighter jets drew graceful arcs through the air, their fuselages reflecting a cold light in the sunlight, like the scythe of death, foreshadowing the impending disaster.

Around 2 p.m., they almost simultaneously discovered the tracks of the Japanese 3rd Division and the 13th Division.

In the open plains and valleys, the massive Japanese army marching column resembled two winding dragons, crawling towards Yichang.

The soldiers, burdened with heavy equipment, marched slowly and cumbersomely, completely exposed to air strikes.

"Drop bombs! Free fire!" Cheng Rufeng gave the order without hesitation.

SBD2 dive bomber squadron launched the first attack.

Bombers swooped down from the sky, their noses plunging downwards like arrows released from a bow, emitting a sharp whistling sound as they plunged into the marching ranks of the Japanese troops. The bombs mounted under the fuselage, like ripe fruit, were released by the pilots and roared down at a vertical angle.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Violent explosions echoed one after another, shaking the earth.

The bombs landed precisely in the densely packed Japanese marching column, kicking up plumes of black smoke and huge mushroom clouds of mud.

Japanese soldiers were blown to pieces, their bodies torn apart. Some bombs landed directly on supply trucks or horse-drawn wagons, causing secondary explosions that sent flames soaring into the sky and billowing thick smoke.

The pungent smell of gunpowder and burning filled the air instantly, mixed with the screams and running sounds of soldiers, creating a chaotic scene.

Closely following behind were the pirate squadron's fighter jets.

They hovered low above the Japanese marching column, their cannons and machine guns spitting fire, bullets raining down on the Japanese soldiers on the ground. Those who couldn't dodge in time were instantly riddled with bullets, their bodies convulsing and falling to the ground, blood blooming where they fell.

In contrast, the Japanese army was in a much weaker position, as they were on the march and had virtually no anti-aircraft firepower.

Even if a few anti-aircraft guns occasionally fired into the sky, they could not pose any threat to these extremely fast and highly maneuverable fighter jets.

The absolute advantage of their dominance in the air allowed the pirate fleet to slaughter Japanese troops on the ground with impunity.

In just one afternoon, the pirate squadron dispatched four groups.

Each attack dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese 3rd and 13th Divisions.

The Japanese army's marching column was bombed into pieces, its supply lines were cut off, and its morale plummeted to an all-time low.

The muddy dirt road was littered with the corpses of Japanese soldiers, severed limbs, pools of blood, and destroyed vehicles and horses.

Smoke filled the air, and cries and wails echoed everywhere. The Japanese commanders were ashen-faced, anxiously urging their troops to advance faster, but each air raid rendered their efforts futile.

A Japanese soldier lay on the ground in despair, looking at his comrades who had been blown to pieces, his eardrums ringing from the explosion.

His body was covered in mud and blood, and his eyes were filled with fear.

He didn't even have time to look up at Death in the sky before the next bomb exploded not far from him. The massive shockwave threw him overboard, his body crashing heavily to the ground, his mind blank.

The Japanese army's marching speed naturally slowed down under the relentless bombardment by the pirate fleet, and even came to a standstill at one point.

They had to spend a lot of time clearing the bombed roads, gathering the scattered troops, and treating the wounded.

The original plan to arrive in Yichang by tomorrow morning has become indefinitely postponed due to the relentless bombardment by the pirate fleet.

(End of this chapter)