But the reason why this small island, which Yang Zhen listed as the first target before, has never been a target of bombing is because it has never been possible to determine the location of the target. Although Yang Zhen immediately bombed the island after the Anti-Japanese Alliance had long-range bombers.
It was listed as a key bombing target, but the location of the target could not be determined, and all plans could only be delayed repeatedly.
In order to cover up the audio and video, the Japanese have formulated strict confidentiality measures. Not only have all routes passing through this key island been modified and adjusted, but they cannot be found on any Japanese map, whether it is a civilian or military map.
To the location of this island, the location of this island is blank on all maps.
Not to mention foreigners, even the residents of Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, don't know the situation on the island. The location and production conditions of the poison gas factory on the island are unknown to outsiders. All the workers
He was recruited nearby, and the Japanese Army issued a strict silence order on him.
Not to mention foreigners, even people other than workers are absolutely not allowed to land on the island. Even taking a map of the island will be subject to the severest punishment. The entire Japanese mainland is except those listed on the secret map of the Japanese General Staff Headquarters.
In addition, this island has no markings on any Japanese maps, including military maps.
Although Yang Zhen knew the general geographical location of the islands along the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture. However, the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture is dotted with large and small inhabited and uninhabited islands. Which one is Ōkuno
I'm afraid only the Japanese themselves can know about the island. The Anti-Japanese Alliance doesn't have that many bombers and bombs to bomb them one by one.
In order to determine the location of this island, Yang Zhen spent a lot of effort. Almost every captured member of the Japanese gas warfare unit was subject to the most severe interrogation. From soldiers to officers, and even all universities involved in poison gas
Professors were all included in the interrogation scope.
Based on the interrogation of captured Japanese chemical warfare experts and the confessions of captured officers of the poison gas unit. Combined with an old Japanese map from 1910 found in the ruins of Xinjing City, as well as
By comparing the maps of the May 16th Chemical Warfare Unit of the Japanese Army captured in Qiqihar and Xinjing with the current military maps of Japan, the approximate location of the island was determined at the end of 1942.
After determining the approximate location of the island, and in view of the particularity of the island and the surrounding air defense force that almost exceeds that of Hiroshima, Japan's important military base, Commander Liming of the Bomb Command personally took charge and mobilized a group of the best combat troops.
The staff constantly studied the battle plan. Yang Zhen had to personally check on the final plan.
Although the location of the island was finally determined, nothing was known about the situation inside the island. Although all the power of the intelligence system was mobilized, not a single photo of the island was found. There was no accurate map and no actual target location.
Under the circumstances, it was very difficult to bomb the island, so Yang Zhen had to act cautiously.
Except for a map of the Seto Inland Sea of Japan surveyed and mapped by Americans in 1910, there is almost no reference basis. It is difficult to determine the location and carry out precise bombing by relying on the map alone. Without a detailed plan,
It is difficult to make a final decision. Therefore, although Okunoshima was definitely in the top two among the anti-Japanese bombing targets, the bombing plan was not finalized until the end of 2002.
Carry out a carpet bombing on it to fundamentally destroy the Japanese army's poison gas warfare capabilities. The reason why such a large group of bombers was dispatched was specifically to deal with this small island. Yang Zhen's meaning is very simple. It's not that I can't find you.
Do you know the exact location of the factory? Then I will completely destroy you.
However, judging from the limited scattered information, Yang Zhen judged that the location of the poison gas factory should be in the northwest of the island, because this is the most sheltered place on the entire island. Therefore, he focused his bombing on the northwest of the island.
However, all the buildings on the island are also within the bombing range. Yang Zhen's attitude is not to miss even the smallest house, as long as it is a building.
In order to be as accurate as possible in this bombing, the tactical approach was to enter at dawn and use the slightly stronger light intensity of the morning light to bomb. The take-off bomber group used the cover of night to enter the Japanese mainland from the northeast of Hiroshima Prefecture. Use
As soon as it gets light in the morning, the ground targets are relatively clear and there is a lot of opportunity to drop bombs.
At the same time, taking into account the difference in the time of sunrise between China and Japan, in order to ensure this operation, eight Il-4 bombers were specially arranged to carry a large number of flares specifically for target indication. At the same time, each aircraft carried six five-point bombers.
Ten kilograms of low-resistance bombs newly developed by the Anti-League were used as ground firepower to suppress aircraft.
In order to prevent the poisonous gas from leaking and injuring the pilots due to the bombing, all pilots participating in the air raid were required to wear gas masks after entering Japan. But no matter how they did it, Yang Zhen only had one request for them, even for all the planes
All will be lost, but all the buildings on this island must be completely wiped off the ground.
The reason why the B-24 bomber was chosen is that among all the bombers currently in the Anti-Japanese Alliance, this aircraft has the largest bomb load and the fastest cruising speed during a long range. With a range of more than 2,000 kilometers, it can carry two bombs.
The bomb load of one and a half tons of bombs exceeds that of Stirling and B-17 bombers.
Considering the importance of the bombing, although extensive drills were conducted and detailed tactics were formulated beforehand, Liming decided to personally lead the team to carry out the bombing mission after asking Yang Zhen for approval. On December 27,
On the same day, the Anti-Japanese Alliance dispatched a large number of bombers to bomb the Hiroshima Arsenal at the same time, under the cover of the full-scale radio suppression by electronic warfare aircraft.
Forty-two B-24 bombers under the personal command of Liming, after the main bomber group arrived over Hiroshima and began bombing, and the surrounding Japanese air defense forces were attracted, he immediately commanded the bombing group to turn northwest and attack Okuno.
island.
In the past, the Anti-Alliance bombing campaign against Japan had always adopted a night bombing mode, and had never carried out bombing at dawn. Coupled with the two electronic jamming aircraft participating in the war, which implemented high-intensity wireless communication suppression on the entire Japanese Honshu Island, this
The bombing caught the Japanese by surprise.
Not only was the air defense in the entire city of Hiroshima relatively slow to respond, but the air defense around Okunoshima was not even prepared at all. Because the Japanese army was quite confident in their ability to keep secrets. They never even thought of it.
However, the secret of this rather inconspicuous island on the coast of Takehara City, Hiroshima, will one day be revealed.
And compared to this island, which the Japanese think is well-covered, there are not only a large number of arsenals in the urban area of Hiroshima, but also in the entire Hiroshima Prefecture, there is also Kure City, Japan's important military port and shipbuilding base. This Kure Port is closely connected with Yokosuka and Sasebo
, Hashishima has always been the four most important military ports of the Japanese Navy. At the same time, opposite Kure Port, there is also Etajima, the location of the Naval War School that trains Japanese naval officers.
It can be said that the entire Japanese naval defense system in Hiroshima revolves around Kure Port and Kure Naval Factory, plus Etada Island. You must know that a large number of naval ships are being built in Kure Port, which is the lifeblood of the navy to maintain war. The Yamato is being built there.
Although the No. 4 ship has been dismantled, the No. 3 ship, which is being converted into an aircraft carrier, is still being manufactured.
Etajima is the cradle of the Japanese Navy and the root of the Japanese Navy. The Navy does not want its basic military academy to be repeatedly bombed like the Army's Military Academy and Army University. The few hundred cadets who are most urgently needed have not yet been
He had no time to serve the emperor on the battlefield, so he went into the arms of Amaterasu.
It is true that there are arsenals in Hiroshima, but those arsenals belong to the Army and have nothing to do with the Navy. The poison gas factory on Okuno Island also belongs to the Army and has nothing to do with the Navy. The Navy's air defense forces are concentrated in Kure Port, and the others
The local navy will not take it into consideration.
Even when the troops were divided at dawn, the Japanese Navy's first road-based radar station set up around Kure Port had discovered that some of the bombers from the anti-alliance bomber group that attacked Hiroshima were continuing to fly rapidly in the northeast direction.
Although the target has not yet been determined, the navy's relatively good radar station has discovered Dawn's aircraft group after all.
Moreover, after careful calculations, the staff of the naval radar station has calculated that the target of this part of the bomber group separated by the Anti-Japanese Alliance is likely to be the Eiyu Islands where Okuno Island is located. As for the Shikoku Island further east, the Navy cannot think of it.
Is there anything they can blow up? As for the Army’s two bases on the Yiyu Islands, namely the Army Ship Corps, their target should be there.
Just because of the estrangement between the army and the navy, even though the navy's radar station had discovered the anomaly, it did not report the matter to the army at all. The navy was too busy with the security of Wugang and Jiangtian Island, and it had time to take care of the army's affairs. Nothing happened
Guan Ji is concerned that when it comes to the relationship between the army and the navy, the Japanese Navy has always been good at keeping itself alone.
Every country's army and navy are having conflicts in order to compete for military expenditures and resources. This is a common problem in all countries with comprehensive military services in the world. But the Japanese army and navy are so troubled that they don't even talk to each other and just do their own thing.
I'm afraid I'm the only one who doesn't report everything to each other.
The navy builds tanks, the army builds submarines, and aircraft carriers. Even if the army and navy are interested in the introduction of the same weapons, they don't buy them together. You buy yours and I buy mine. A navy escort team encountered a US submarine on a route.
If an attack occurs, the Army will never be notified that the route is unsafe. Likewise, if the Army fleet is attacked, the Navy will never be notified.
When it comes to the transfer of supplies, the two armies also do their own thing. Both sides would rather empty their precious fleets and waste more precious fuel, and absolutely do not allow the shipment of the other side's urgently needed supplies. When a US submarine set up an ambush on the Japanese route,
Often there is no need to change places for three or two days. Because the navy moves when it is attacked, the unnotified army still has to take this route. The American submarines involved in the attack often return home fully loaded.
If an aircraft company manufactures aircraft for the army and navy at the same time, the navy's aircraft must not use parts from the army. The technology of the army's aircraft must not be shared with the navy. Even the units of measurement for the instruments are metric for the army and metric for the navy.
It's in the imperial system, and we definitely don't use the same units.
When manufacturing aircraft, the screws on Navy aircraft must be tightened to the left, so the Army aircraft must be tightened to the right. When manufacturing, they must not share a workshop. The Navy has developed high-quality Igarashi carbide aluminum for aviation
, and are definitely not for use by the Army.
As a naval power with the third strongest navy in the world, the Army wants to build its own maritime transport ships and submarines, and even develop its own aircraft carrier. And the Army would rather slowly develop it from scratch than use the Navy's shipbuilding technology.
, of course, the Navy does not provide technology to the Army, which is probably the only one in the world.