Sword of Light: Humanoid Self-Propelled Artillery

Chapter 227 Confusing the real with the fake
Therefore, it was clear that Wang Gensheng's marines could not accomplish the task of manufacturing so many fake aircraft in a short period of time.

Although they are all fake targets, in order to make them indistinguishable from the real thing, a lot of carpentry work is naturally required.

Wang Gensheng's Marine Corps didn't have any skilled carpenters, so they naturally needed the Third Field Army's help. After all, with the Third Field Army's massive logistical capabilities, making dozens or even hundreds of wooden-framed aircraft was a piece of cake.

Of course, this method of using airplanes to create deception was not Wang's invention; it was already being used in the Ouzhou battlefield during World War II.

Inflatable tanks, rope bridges, straw airplanes—the various camouflage and deception tactics used during World War II bear a striking resemblance to Zhuge Liang's borrowing arrows with straw boats in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

World War II was the largest war in human history, lasting from 1939 to 1945. The flames of war ignited the Eurasian continent and Oceania, involving 61 countries and regions and more than 2 billion people.

In addition to using conventional tactics, both the Barrel Alliance and the Axis Alliance employed bizarre tactics such as inflatable tanks, wooden cannons, and straw airplanes to confuse their opponents.

The misled opponent is often unaware of the situation and is very likely to misjudge the opponent's actual military strength and location, thereby gaining a tactical advantage.

This tactic was actually used during World War I, when armies painted various patterns on their warships to confuse distant enemies. World War II saw a direct "upgrade" to this tactic, with equipment being replaced with fakes.

The methods of camouflage were incredibly diverse. Some used fixed structures to disguise themselves as various firearms, while others mounted wooden sticks on a pile of old tires to resemble artillery. They used whatever was available, resulting in a wide variety of forms. Although these inventions were simple and crude, they still played a significant role before satellite technology and drones became widespread.

However, in addition to creating fake tanks, fake artillery, and fake aircraft, there were also some large-scale deception tactics, such as fake roads and bridges made of canvas and burlap, as well as "wooden tanks" that could move on trucks. The British Air Force even created a fake airfield to attract enemy fire.

The most interesting one is the inflatable tank made of rubber. You just need to take it out of your pack, inflate it with a generator and a pump, and a fake tank is completed in about 20 minutes. When you don't need it anymore, you can deflate it and pack it up to take away.

Of course, it turned out that camouflage tactics were very useful during World War II. In the summer of 1940, Colonel Turner built about one hundred fake airfields and more than four hundred straw airplanes to confuse German bombers.

In August 1940, during an air raid by the United States, three waves of bombs were dropped on a fake airfield, thus protecting the real airfield and hundreds of lives. Similarly, the US-led "Ghost Army" was highly decorated, and it is estimated that it successfully saved the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield.

Even decades later, in the era of satellites, camouflage tactics will still be useful.

With the development of technology, inflatable weapons emerged as a type of weapon that is inexpensive and highly deceptive. Although the deceptions and disguises of World War II are difficult to detect with high-tech information technology, inflatable weapons stand out due to their unique characteristics.

This weapon is made of soft material and is inflated to make it look like a real weapon, thus deceiving the enemy.

For example, Goose's technology in this area is world-leading. Although the manufacturing technology of inflatable weapons is not complicated in theory, creating a realistic effect requires exquisite craftsmanship and long-term research and development.

Through long-term research, Goose Kingdom has successfully manufactured weapons such as inflatable tanks and fighter jets, which are difficult to distinguish from real weapons with the naked eye from a distance or without being touched.

These inflatable weapons are made of materials similar to hot air balloons, weigh about 35 kilograms, and take only a few minutes to assemble. Compared to "fake weapons" made of rubber, plastic, or other materials, they are far more deceptive.

Notably, the research scope of the Gobi Defense Works extends far beyond fighter jets and tanks; they have also successfully developed an inflatable version of an air defense missile system. This missile system is a crucial strategic weapon for Gobi, its importance in wartime being self-evident, and it is often a primary target for enemy forces.

Their "fake" anti-aircraft missiles were indistinguishable from real ones in appearance. Even more remarkably, they could simulate the emission of heat and electromagnetic waves, making them indistinguishable even to spy satellites high in the sky. Wang Gensheng's method was successfully approved by the deputy commander of the Third Field Army, who immediately said:

"Okay, let's prepare fake planes and cover first. Once they're ready, we'll take over the airport under cover of night!"

With the support of the Third Field Army, Wang Gensheng's plan was executed very smoothly, and the wooden airplane used for camouflage was ready in just two days.

To ensure realism, they even painted these fake planes.

Of course, for ease of transport, these fake airplanes are all detachable, with the wings and fuselage easily disassembled.

To be honest, Wang Gensheng was truly impressed with the carpenter that Sanye had found.

Even if Wang Gensheng himself didn't go in to look at it or touch it, he wouldn't believe it was fake.

So, after preparations were complete, just as darkness fell on the second night, the Third Field Army commander directly dispatched a column to assist Wang Gensheng in capturing the airport.

It should be noted that the defense of Xuzhou Airport consisted of only a few thousand people, not even a single lion, so how could they possibly withstand the attack of a single column?

In less than half an hour, Xuzhou Airport was seized.

Of course, during this time, the airport guards also sent a distress call to Xu Zhou's side, but unfortunately, Xu Zhou himself was in grave danger.

Therefore, they dared not send anyone to provide support. Of course, Lao Zi also received the news that Xuzhou Airport had been breached, but Lao Zi was not worried. He said that he would send bombers to bomb Xuzhou Airport during the day tomorrow and would not leave the planes on the airport to the Liberation Army.

…………

"Quickly! Quickly! Quickly move all these fighter jets and bombers away!"

With the assistance of tens of thousands of men in a column, it didn't take long to move these fighter jets and bombers to an open area next to the airport and cover them up.

By using straw mats and covering them with a layer of yellow soil, these fighter jets quickly became invisible from high altitude.

After the real aircraft on both sides of the airport runway were cleared, wooden replicas of fighter jets were also transported over and placed on both sides of the airport runway.

Next, they dug anti-aircraft machine gun positions on both sides of the airport runway. There was no other way; a fake is still a fake. So, if they didn't set up anti-aircraft positions, the old quail's bombers would drop bombs at low altitude.

It would be easy to spot, so only by forcing the old pheasant's bombers to stop low-altitude bombing can the bomber pilots be ensured not to notice anything.

(End of this chapter)