Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 361 Counterattack
The battle on the snowfield intensified. Yoshimoto Sada hid in a bush, the biting wind stinging his cheeks.

He gripped his saber tightly, staring at the warplanes circling in the sky, painted with the insignia of the Republic of China, almost spitting fire.

In the sky, the bombs dropped by Cheng Rufeng's pirate fleet exploded on the snow, bursting into bursts of fire. Fragments mixed with ice and snow scattered everywhere, and screams rose and fell.

Japanese soldiers stumbled through the snow, trying to find cover, but the thick snow slowed their movements.

Even with the anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on the top of the train relentlessly spitting out fire, streaks of tracer bullets tearing through the sky and forming fire nets in the air, they still could not hit those agile militia fighter planes.

A major stumbled in and reported, "Commander, the Chinese planes are too rampant. Our planes have not been seen at all. What should we do?"

Yoshimoto Sadaichi gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, "These Chinese planes, how dare they be so arrogant!"

He turned sharply and roared at his adjutant, "Telegram to General Okamura requesting air support! Immediately!"

The adjutant nodded hastily and stumbled towards the train. He went to the telegraph room inside the carriage and started banging on the telegraph machine. The rapid ticking sound echoed in the cold air.

The airstrike lasted for more than an hour, only stopping after dark.

The news of Yoshimoto Teiichi's attack on his way to his post, resulting in heavy casualties, was like a resounding slap in the face to Okamura Yasuji, who had just arrived in North China.

Anger instantly ignited the cold flame in the eyes of this imperial general, known for his "steadiness and ruthlessness."

His first act upon taking office was to convene a meeting in Shijiazhuang with almost all the generals of the North China Army. During the meeting, he declared: "The Shanxi militia, under Su Yaoyang, is no longer a minor ailment, but a major threat to the Empire's strategy in North China, its number one mortal enemy! We must use all our strength to completely crush them!"
Neiji Okamura said it, and he did it.

He pleaded with the Tokyo headquarters in the most urgent and forceful terms: only overwhelming military force could wipe out the stubborn enemy entrenched in the Shanxi mountains.

Meanwhile, the headquarters was also shaken by the successive defeats in Shanxi and quickly agreed to Okamura Yasuji's request.

Within just three months, four fully equipped and well-manned standing divisions (the 36th, 37th, 41st, and 42nd Divisions) were urgently drawn from other battlefields in North China and even from the Kwantung Army. They marched by rail and road, surging towards Shanxi like a flood bursting its banks.

After Japan's massive troop reinforcement in Shanxi, the First Army, whose strength had skyrocketed, went from being stretched thin to a staggering 200,000 men. The fortresses and transportation lines in northern, central, and southern Shanxi, which had previously been understrength, were now heavily fortified and blocked by the Japanese army, creating an impenetrable encirclement and overwhelming force.

Furthermore, Okamura Yasuji requested that more than 200 fighter planes be transferred from various places to reinforce the area in Shanxi. As a result, the Japanese forces in Shanxi now had three air squadrons and more than 300 aircraft.

It is said that soldiers are inspired by the general's authority, and generals are inspired by the soldiers' courage. After Yoshimoto Sadaichi gained troops, he began to think about a decisive battle with the Shanxi militia.

Unfortunately, at this time, the Eighth Route Army launched the famous Hundred Regiments Offensive, with hundreds of thousands of Eighth Route Army soldiers launching a counter-offensive against the Japanese army on the North China Plain.

Most critically, not only did the Eighth Route Army launch a counter-offensive against the Japanese army, but the Shanxi militia also launched an attack towards Datong.

The flight squadron's hundreds of aircraft were the first to bomb various targets within Shanxi Province, and for a time, the entire North China Plain was engulfed in flames.

Despite encountering a winter that was unusually severe and making it difficult for planes to take off, the pilots of the air squadron gritted their teeth and insisted on taking off to bomb Japanese supply lines, which caused great losses to the Japanese army.

Thus, in this cold winter, the air forces of China and Japan engaged in fierce air battles over Shanxi.

"Song Shaojie flew his P-51 Mustang fighter through the cold high sky, looking down at Datong City below. The Japanese anti-aircraft fire was dense but powerless, exploding into white flowers in the air."

Wearing a thick leather flight helmet, he gripped the control stick tightly as he breathed in the cold air of the cockpit. A contemptuous smile played on his lips as he glanced back at the ground and said disdainfully, "You think you can beat me with this little bit of skill?"

He pushed the control stick, sharply lowering the nose of the aircraft, and the fighter jet roared as it dove down.

At this moment, the temperature outside the cabin was as low as minus thirty degrees Celsius, and ice crystals had already condensed on the wings. As the plane dived, the engines roared under the strain.

Song Shaojie squinted and saw a Japanese ammunition depot below through the cockpit glass. Without hesitation, he pressed the bomb release button.

The bomb traced a beautiful arc and hit its target squarely.

With a deafening roar, flames shot into the sky, debris flew everywhere, and the surrounding Japanese soldiers were blown away by the blast wave like scarecrows.

Song Shaojie is no longer the rookie who was shot down by the enemy after being too happy to shoot down an enemy plane. After these days of training, he has completely transformed into a seasoned pilot.

After blowing up an oil depot, he calmly pulled up the control stick, and the fighter jet drew a beautiful arc in the air, dodging the dense anti-aircraft fire. At the same time, he shouted over the radio: "Number three, number four, follow me, there is another oil depot over there!"

Despite the Japanese army urgently dispatching more than 200 fighter planes from the mainland, Su Yaoyang was not afraid at all. With his material converter, he was not afraid of fighting a war of attrition with the Japanese. In other words, as long as he had enough pilots, he could bankrupt the Japanese.

With his vast wealth and influence, he quickly issued a counter-order.

In the frigid conditions, both sides' pilots fought with astonishing willpower and a spirit of sacrifice.

The Shanxi militia's flying squadron not only had far more advanced aircraft than the Japanese, but their highly targeted tactics also inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese army. This made the struggle for air superiority exceptionally brutal and intense, and Yoshimoto Teiichi's expectation of air superiority was not quickly established.

The more than 300 Japanese aircraft in Shanxi were being lost at an alarming rate. In just one month, the number of Japanese aircraft was reduced to less than 100, while the Shanxi militia lost only a mere 20 aircraft.

During this cold winter, the sky and land of Shanxi and even the entire North China became a huge melting pot where blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Yoshimoto Teiichi's ambition to fight Su Yaoyang to the death was completely disrupted by the overwhelming force of the Eighth Route Army and Su Yaoyang's precise and ruthless counterattack.

The Japanese army in North China was simultaneously suffering multiple attacks from the ground (by the Eighth Route Army) and the air, and was exhausted and in an unprecedented passive situation since the start of the war.

Winter nights in North China come exceptionally early and are exceptionally long.

Inside the headquarters of the Japanese North China Area Army in Shijiazhuang, the charcoal fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, crackling softly and warming Okamura Yasuji's spacious office like a spring day.

However, this warmth could not dispel the gloom in Okamura Yasuji's heart.

As evening fell, his adjutant reported, "Commander, Admiral Nishio has arrived outside the headquarters and is expected to arrive at your office in five minutes."

"Understood." Okamura Neiji put down the documents, got up himself, took out an exquisite teacup from the tea cabinet, and began to brew tea slowly and methodically. Boiling water was poured into the teapot, and the thin stream of water stirred up white foam in the teacup, and the faint aroma of tea filled the air.

Just as the aroma of tea filled the office, the office door was pushed open, and the tall and imposing Nishio Juzo strode in.

Seeing Okamura Neiji brewing tea, he couldn't help but laugh, "Looks like I've come at just the right time. I can finally taste Okamura-kun's cooking."

After saying that, he strode over and sat down opposite Okamura Neiji.

Nishio Juzo first picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Good tea! Okamura-kun's skills are getting better and better."

After saying that, he put down his teacup, stared sharply at Okamura Neiji, and said in a deep voice: "Okamura-kun, the Empire has added four divisions of troops to Shanxi this time, but why is the battle still at a stalemate?"

General Headquarters was paying close attention to this; the stalemate on the North China battlefield had exceeded everyone's expectations.

He put down his teacup and looked directly at Okamura Yasuji.

Okamura Neiji did not immediately offer a defense.

He slowly offered the brewed hot tea to Nishio Toshizo with both hands. Although his movements were still steady, his brows were shrouded in an unprecedented solemnity.

He raised his eyes to meet Nishio Toshizo's gaze. "Commander,"

Okamura Yasuji's voice echoed in the quiet office, "The situation in North China is difficult, not because my soldiers are not fighting bravely, nor because of tactical slackness."

He paused, then carefully stated the conclusion he had reached after much deliberation:
"The key is... we must re-examine and take extremely serious, undervalued, deadly threat... the air power of the Shanxi militia!"

"Air power?" Nishio Toshizo frowned, clearly surprised by this direction.

“Yes, air power!” Okamura Yasuji’s tone was resolute. “After months of fierce fighting, especially this cold winter, and after my air force paid an unimaginable price, I have finally realized a fact!”

Okamura Neiji leaned forward slightly, staring intently into Nishio Juzo's eyes:

"The air force controlled by Su Yaoyang of the Shanxi militia is by no means the 'small harassment force' we previously knew. It has grown into the largest, most organized, and best-equipped air group in China!"

He took a deep breath and uttered a judgment that even surprised him:

"Even more deadly is that their main fighter jets... are far superior in performance to all models currently in service with the Empire."

These fighters far surpassed the Empire's Zero fighters in terms of speed, climb rate, firepower, and protection.

In numerous encounters, our most advanced fighter planes, whether the Type 97 or the newly arrived Zeros, were at a clear disadvantage under equal conditions! The loss rate... was extremely heavy!

As Okamura Neiji watched Nishio Juzo's pupils suddenly contract, he uttered a startling prediction:

"Commander, if we cannot face this gap squarely, if the Imperial Aviation Industry cannot develop new fighter jets that can match or even surpass its performance at the fastest speed..."

He paused, then slowly and deliberately uttered the suffocating consequence:
"Then, in the skies of North China, and even on a potentially wider battlefield in the future, the Empire... will face the enormous danger of completely losing air superiority, and what losing air superiority means... you know better than I do!"

These words were like a bombshell dropped into a cold room! Nishio Toshizo's fingers tightened suddenly around the teacup.

He stared intently at Okamura Neiji's expressionless face.

The commander, known for his "steadiness," looked more solemn than ever before.

Meanwhile, on a remote section of the Zhengtai Railway, a young Eighth Route Army soldier lay prone on the cold rails, carefully placing a bundle of explosives wrapped in tarpaulin under the sleepers.

His cheeks were red from the cold, and his breath instantly condensed into white mist, but he paid no attention to it, as if the cold had no effect on him.

The veteran next to him patted him on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Gousheng, hurry up! This is some good stuff sent by the Shanxi militia, it's very powerful, don't waste it!"

Gou Sheng chuckled, revealing a set of white teeth, "Don't worry, old squad leader, I'll make sure those Japanese trains are airborne!"

With a command given, the fuse was lit, making a 'sizzling' sound.

Twenty minutes later, a deafening roar ripped through the quiet night sky, and a fiery dragon shot into the air. The sturdy rails were blasted into a twisted mess and flew into the air. At the same time, a train derailed and crashed into the snow, leaving a long series of deep craters.

The warmth of the fireplace in the office contrasted sharply with the howling wind outside the window, much like the inner turmoil of Okamura Neiji and Nishio Toshizo and the cold reality of the battlefield.

Just as the two were feeling anxious about the situation at the front, a communications officer rushed in, looking flustered. He even forgot the standard salute and his voice was a little hoarse: "General Nishio, General Okamura, urgent report from the front! The Chinese Eighth Route Army has suddenly launched a counterattack against us! The entire North China region... the entire region is under attack!"

"Nani?"

"Nishio Toshizo's brows furrowed instantly. He snatched the telegram and his sharp eyes quickly scanned the words on it."

"idiot!"

He muttered a curse under his breath, his face instantly turning ashen.

On the telegram, place names were like lit fuses, and from the entire Hebei-Chahar region to most of Shanxi-Suiyuan and then to the distant Rehe-Nan region, countless red dots connected to form a raging fire.

The Eighth Route Army, a peasant army that they had always thought could only wage guerrilla warfare, actually mobilized more than 100 regiments and over 200,000 troops at the same time to launch a comprehensive and devastating attack on the Empire's transportation lines and strongholds in North China.

Today, transportation lines in the Jin-Cha-Ji region and Chahar are almost completely paralyzed.

(End of this chapter)