Chapter 225 Kinoshita Toshi’s dirty trick

Author: Maomao Que Dade

Chapter 225 Kinoshita Toshi’s dirty trick

If we talk about the casualties on the front battlefield of the Zhongtiao Mountain Battle, it can only be regarded as a loss of strength and bones for the North China Front Army.

Lu Hang was definitely seriously injured, and even saying it was skinned and cramped is not an exaggeration.

Since the main opponent of the North China Front is the Eighth Route Army, which has extremely high combat literacy, air power can play a very limited role in the face of dispersed and flexible guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare.

This resulted in the original number of fighter aircraft being unable to meet the needs of the battlefield.

But the situation in Zhongtiao Mountain was different. The preserved fruit defenders had gathered a large number of troops here, and they lacked regular field air defense weapons. It was obvious that they would be bombed at their doorstep.

In order to cooperate with the advancement of the ground troops, Okamura Neiji even went to the Kwantung Army to borrow troops.

The results were not good now. On the first day of the battle, the Army Aviation lost 80% of its fighter planes. The entire Third Flying Group, together with the two flying squadrons supported by the Kwantung Army, were almost wiped out.

Such battle losses are simply a disaster for an island country that is short of resources. With the current military production capacity, production will have to be stepped up for at least several months to make up for the losses.

After all, at this point in time in 1941, the entire Expeditionary Force had only 19 fighter fleets, 20 bomber fleets and 7 reconnaissance aircraft fleets.

He lost nearly 20% of his combat power at once, and anyone who replaced him would be furious.

After learning the news, the General Staff Headquarters in charge of the Army's military orders sent a telegram overnight demanding accountability.

The telegram cursed Lieutenant General Toshi Kinoshita of the Third Flying Group for nine pages. It was so cruel that even Raeder felt distressed for a few seconds after seeing it.

In addition, the Ministry of War, which is responsible for daily affairs, also took a strong stance and asked the North China Front to remove such an incompetent general.

But all this pressure was shouldered by Neji Okamura.

As a person who has experienced it, he knows very well how powerful the newly emerged Eighth Route Army Air Force is. The situation at that time would not change even if another person was in command.

Although the old devil shouts about stud attack every day, it does not mean that he is a reckless man who only thinks about muscles.

He knew very well that air superiority played a very important role in modern warfare. A hasty attack would only expose the army to being beaten everywhere. Without the support of aviation, it would be impossible to move forward.

What's more, helping Kinoshita Satoshi to be held accountable is a thing that does more good than harm.

First of all, a temporary change of commander will inevitably affect the morale of the troops and have a negative impact on the next offensive.

Secondly, if the attack does not go smoothly or problems arise again, the other party can also be blamed for the failure of the war. The weight of a lieutenant general from his younger brother's country is definitely enough to silence the people in the staff headquarters.

Finally, a general who has received favors can help him control the subsequent situation. If a person who cherishes his life is transferred and does not cooperate with the work, it will be in trouble.

Xinxiang, Third Flight Group Headquarters.

"Your Majesty Lieutenant General, the flight group transferred from Central China is already in place. It includes two fighter flight groups and one bomber flight group."

"Counting the more than 40 remaining aircraft, we have regained the opportunity to seize local air supremacy. All the above-mentioned aircraft have been prepared and ready to go at any time,"

"It's just that we still have to avoid the Eighth Route Army's air force as much as possible. After all, the opponent is a formation composed of pure fighter jets."

The adjutant's words shocked Kinoshita Toshi, but soon he was like an eggplant beaten by frost.

Although the reinforcements of the two fighter flight teams are crucial, air combat cannot be won simply by comparing numbers. When the technical level difference between the two sides' pilots is not large, quality is the key to victory.

When he thought of the opponent's fighter planes with high protective performance and strong combat capabilities, the old Japanese's face was full of bitterness.

"Has the allies sent back any valuable intelligence? It has been two and a half days, and you still haven't figured out the model and basic data of the enemy fighter planes?"

"Are the intelligence agencies of the three major Axis powers all just worms who are paid by the military? Can't even do this well?"

After the first showdown with the Sora 1st Division, Kinoshita Toshiro gathered all the surviving pilots and asked them to draw a sketch of the appearance of the aircraft they fought with based on the memories in their minds.

Through nearly a hundred Fighter fighter jets, the staff of the Third Flying Group set their sights on the British Isles far away in the northwest corner of the European continent.

Fortunately, intelligence collection is not difficult. After all, the allies only fought a shocking air battle last year. Given the relationship between the two parties, it is reasonable to share some data.

Facing his own general's question, the adjutant took out the information he had prepared long ago.

"According to the information we submitted, the German side quickly recognized that the fighter jets used by the Eighth Route Army were British Hurricanes and Spitfires."

"It's just that the weapon models and basic information given by the other party don't match. The Eighth Route Army's active equipment seems to be more advanced. It's incredible."

This is also reasonable. After all, the Spitfire provided by the system is MK9, and the MK5 with Ying had just come out not long ago.

In terms of appearance alone, the shape of the wings is slightly different. What's more, during air combat, the differences in thrust, climb speed and weapon systems are clear at a glance.

The situation with hurricanes is similar. Now Dai Ying still uses the MK2A with 8 small water pipes.

Kinoshita Satoshi took the information and read it carefully. The various data on the paper sent shivers down his spine. Although he was not a technical person, he could understand that the gap between the two sides was not small.

Responsibilities and pressure do not allow the Third Flying Group to give up the fight easily, and can only figure out how to deal with the foreseeable difficult battles ahead.

"Hey, the problem now is not whose fighter model is more advanced, but how we use the Type 97 fighter jets with backward performance to fight the enemy."

"It seems that before the Type 1 Fighting Falcon is fielded, we can only rely on tactics to gain advantage on the battlefield."

"Call all staff officers together and prepare for a combat meeting."

Since the Army Aviation rarely fought tough battles in the Republic of China, the crushing battles made the thinking of the top management of the Third Aviation Group rigid.

Kinoshita Satoshi and a group of staff members discussed from noon to night, and finally came up with a decent battle plan before midnight.

In the new plan, they will send half of their air power to bomb Luoyang.

In this way, it can not only attack the headquarters of the first theater, but also distract the commander from remotely controlling the entire Zhongtiao Mountain garrison. It can also attract the attention of the Eighth Route Army Air Force and distract the opponent's forces.

If the Type 97 fighter jet can achieve an absolute advantage in numbers, it will not be without its ability to fight against the Spitfire and Hurricane.

"Isn't your Eighth Route Army always known as the army of benevolence and righteousness? I want to see if you care about the death of civilians. Once I seize the opportunity to defeat the enemy with more enemies, it will be the day when our Third Flying Group will avenge its humiliation."

"Send a telegram to Commander Gangcun. I will not disappoint his expectations of me this time!"

"Hi!"

······

May 10, Luoyang.

This city has more than 100,000 residents. It is not only the capital of Henan Province, but also the seat of the headquarters of the First War Zone.

To the north, there are the dangerous fortifications of Zhongtiao Mountain and the natural barrier of the Yellow River, which is fast and circuitous and almost impossible to cross. However, such natural barriers could not stop the indiscriminate bombing by Japanese aircraft.

Before the war broke out in Zhongtiao Mountain, people seemed to be living a very peaceful city life.

But as news of the Japanese's massive attack reached the city and broke through an important line of defense, all the residents suddenly became frightened.

Since Okamura Neiji approved Kinoshita Toshi's combat plan, this densely populated city has been bombed twice, and an atmosphere of fear, panic, and chaos has enveloped the city.

At this time, people in the temporary headquarters of the First Theater were in panic. As of the beginning of the war at Zhongtiao Mountain, the Japanese army had bombed at least 200 sorties. The previous headquarters had collapsed, and everyone had to move to an office building.

"The fighting was brutal, something we have never seen in the past few years of the Anti-Japanese War. From dawn to dusk every day, there was an average of not one minute in the sky where enemy aircraft were not active. Every position was covered by enemy artillery smoke and poisonous gas."

"In this battle, more than 300 enemy air forces were dispatched day by day. Traffic lines, river crossings, and communication lines were completely destroyed by them."

"Over our position, we were bombarded and threatened at all times. Our position was destroyed, men and horses were injured or killed, supplies were cut off, and reinforcements were not available, which almost brought the operations of our troops to a complete standstill."

The battle reports coming back from the front line caused silence in the combat conference room, and the usually steady Commander Wei was also a little confused.

After hearing the noise outside, he opened the curtains to let the sunlight into the house, then opened the window and looked outside.

The streets were in chaos and vehicles were overcrowded. Thousands of people rushed out of the city, shouting and cursing.

There was no shortage of people fighting for property. There was a lot of dust in the air, giving people a sense of impending disaster. The city had become in pieces and in tatters during the bombing.

In addition to the fleeing citizens on the street, there were also staff cleaning up the scene.

Staff in white clothes carried away corpses wrapped in straw mats.

The streets were full of refugees looking aimlessly for their lost relatives. They cried sadly and called in despair, adding to the atmosphere of sadness, fear and desolation after the bombing.

Due to the bombing, the power plant in the city has been forced to stop working.

Schools and shops were also affected. Prices changed rapidly. The prices of gold, silver, jade and other rare items that are easy to collect and carry increased across the board.

The tragic situation in the city awakened the Commander-in-Chief's unyielding will. He glanced sharply at the officials and asked through gritted teeth:

"I heard that some of you are abusing your power. Not only are you hoarding property to make war profits, but you are also taking advantage of your position to transport your family members and private property out of the city in advance."

"Is this possible?"

As soon as he finished speaking, most of the people in the room changed their expressions. They never expected that what they had done secretly would be exposed so quickly.

"Commander, there is a lack of anti-aircraft weapons in the city, so everyone can only lie on the ground and resign themselves to fate when encountering the bombing. Many of our family members were killed and injured, so this is just a helpless move."

"Those of us who are officials usually work hard for the people, so it's not too much to enjoy some privileges now."

This view resonated with many people, and they all cited examples to support it, as if everything was justified.

Unexpectedly, Commander Wei was furious and looked at the chattering officials. He had a fierce look on his face and slapped his right hand heavily on the table!

"Stupid! By letting your family members evacuate first, you are telling the citizens that we cannot hold Luoyang City. You have ruined the foundation of the First War Zone that you have worked hard for for four years just for the petty profit in front of you!"

"Send my order! From now on, no official or his family members are allowed to leave without my approval! Those who are afraid of death will get into the air-raid shelter!"

"Send me the garrison troops to maintain order. Those who drive up prices will be killed without mercy! Those who smash, loot, and burn will be beheaded in public display!"

After issuing several orders in succession, Commander Wei's expression seemed to soften a lot. He came to the situation map of Zhongtiao Mountain and asked everyone present:

"What do you think about the next battle? Let me tell you in advance that I do not agree with the withdrawal of troops."
To be continued...