Facing the brutal bombers of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, the Japanese troops left behind by Lieutenant General Yuan to protect the beachhead were almost helpless. Only some of the equipped anti-aircraft guns were reluctantly transported ashore, and most of them were accompanied by transport ships.
Wrecked on the beach or sunk in the sea.
Although the best-performing Type 1 37mm anti-aircraft guns were left behind by the former lieutenant general, the two that were shipped ashore were left behind. Five Type 2 20mm anti-aircraft cannons were also left behind. This was already the Japanese army’s investment in this mission.
The six anti-aircraft artillery squadrons engaged in landing operations accounted for nearly one-third of all the equipment that could be transported ashore.
But the key problem is that these two 37mm anti-aircraft guns, which are said to be the best field anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese army during World War II, only had fifty rounds of artillery shells shipped ashore. The 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns had sufficient shells, but the
This medium-sized bomber had somewhat insufficient firepower. And most of the anti-aircraft guns were silenced by the anti-Alliance escort fighter jets in the first wave of the offensive.
The remaining sporadic ground anti-aircraft firepower, especially the few remaining anti-aircraft machine guns, were simply unable to compete with the bomber groups of the Anti-Japanese Alliance. Under the carpet bombing of a large number of bomber groups dispatched by the Anti-Japanese Alliance, the entire Japanese army in Qikou and Zhang Juhe
The beachhead was bombed into a mess.
Although at night, in order to prepare for possible air attacks by the Anti-Japanese Alliance the next day, Colonel Okunobu sent personnel to venture into the water on several improvised simple rafts. With the cooperation of the sailors who swam ashore after the ship they were in was destroyed, they wanted to clear the shore.
The anti-aircraft guns on several destroyed ships were removed to increase the firepower of the beachhead.
Those destroyed destroyers and coastal defense ships had a large number of 25mm anti-aircraft guns, and even the main guns were high-level and flat-type dual-purpose guns. The bulky main guns could not be disassembled, but in the opinion of Colonel Okunobu,
Those anti-aircraft guns can still be brought down if you think about it. Although they are not as good as the Army's 20mm anti-aircraft guns, they are better than nothing after all.
Because these ships were too close to the shore when they were destroyed, and due to the influence of low tide, almost all of them were paralyzed in shallow water. Using the destroyed landing craft and temporarily modifying a few rafts, it was relatively easy to get over. They can be disassembled.
Putting down a few doors can at least increase the anti-aircraft firepower on the beach. Even if the enemy aircraft does not come, it can still be used as supporting firepower once it encounters a ground attack.
As a mid-level officer, Colonel Okunobu is not as dogmatic and rigid as the higher-ups. No matter how good the navy's stuff is, it will never be used. For him, the gap between the army and the navy is a matter between the upper echelons. With him,
The army colonel has nothing to do with it. As long as things can be used, why bother dividing the army and navy? Being able to protect the supplies and positions on the beach is much better than not having anything at all.
After a whole night of work, although two Japanese Navy triple-mounted 25mm anti-aircraft cannons were dismantled, the rest of the search left him disappointed. After searching through all the destroyed and stranded ships, there were only cannon shells.
There were a pitiful fifteen magazines. The rest either fell into the sea or were soaked in the ammunition compartment by sea water and became unusable.
After the only ammunition was used up, the two anti-aircraft guns he fished out with great effort were just a pile of scrap metal and could not play any role. Moreover, these could only be used permanently.
The anti-aircraft guns, facing the counterattack cover aircraft group, did not play the role that Colonel Okunobu expected them to play.
Facing the allied bombers under the cover of fighter jets, Colonel Okonobu was almost helpless. The little anti-aircraft firepower he had in hand did not even raise a wave. Facts have proved that after losing the firepower advantage,
As well as the Japanese troops in the Yongbei Fortification Group, they are also a group of toothless tigers.
At the same time that the defenders who stayed at the Qikou beachhead were maimed by the anti-Japanese air strikes, and the supplies piled up on the beach that had no time to be transported were burned. On the front line of Sanhuzhuang, among the 44th Division
The 92nd Regiment, together with the 19th Regiment of the 9th Division, were also struggling under the firepower of the Anti-Japanese Alliance.
Although the anti-alliance attack aircraft group dispatched on the front line of Sanhuzhuang was not as large as the one dispatched to the Qikou beachhead, in addition to the SBD dive bombers and the British Blenheim light bomber group, six B-2s were also dispatched.
Fifteen medium bombers converted into gunships.
After the attack aircraft dropped napalm bombs, several gunships continued to attack all moving targets on the ground with firepower from both sides of the fuselage at an altitude of 300 meters. These six gunships combined three
The First Division of the Forty-fourth Division on the front line of Huzhuang was firmly suppressed on the ground and did not dare to make any movement.
Facing the fierce aerial attack by the Anti-Japanese Alliance, the troops of the 44th Division on the ground were screaming in agony. The reason is very simple. The 44th Division's previous actions were too slow. Starting from the beachhead position of Zhang Juhe, we walked
It actually took a whole night to get to Sanhu Village.
By the time the anti-alliance air strikes began, the 44th Division, which had just arrived at the front line of Sanhuzhuang less than two hours ago, had not even completed the construction of field fortifications. Almost all of its troops, together with their equipment, were
Partly exposed on the bare Bohai Plain.
Of course, these guys who are very life-saving never hesitate to take their own lives when building field fortifications to save their own lives. Within two hours, a considerable part of the field fortifications was completed. When the anti-alliance bomber group arrived, they were still there.
They desperately dug for the offensive. However, building a fortification group with a complete defense system within two hours was obviously not enough.
As a result, there were still quite a few Japanese troops. When the anti-alliance air strikes came, the overall Japanese defenses on the front line of Sanhuzhuang were far from being completed. The 44th Division paid a heavy price for its previous procrastination.
The area controlled by the headquarters was full of corpses of Japanese soldiers who had been shot dead or burned to coke by napalm bombs.
Although this batch of second-hand SBD IV dive bombers that have been eliminated by the US Navy have slightly higher take-off and landing requirements due to their origins, the bombing accuracy of this dive bomber, which has been designed with a lot of hard work, is also
The British-made Blenheim light bomber is incomparable.
Its bomb load and range are unmatched by the short-legged Su-type IL-2 attack aircraft. Taking off from Peiping, Baoding, or Shimen Airport, its combat radius is enough to cover the entire theater. It also inherits the consistent strong characteristics of American-made aircraft.
, these aircraft are slightly slower in speed, have strong anti-strike capabilities, and have much better maneuverability.
The batch of SBD-4 dive bombers invested in the second phase of the battle were eliminated by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps after being replaced by the new SBD-5 type. This batch of aircraft, which were not actually used for a long time, actually
It was as good as new. Of course, the Americans, as always, dismantled the landing hook and some of the latest radio equipment before handing it over to the Anti-Japanese Alliance.
However, although they are second-hand goods that have been eliminated by the US military, the performance of this batch of aircraft is quite excellent, which effectively makes up for the dilemma that the output of the Il-2 attack aircraft produced by the Anti-Japanese Alliance has never been able to meet the needs. Especially the bombing accuracy is not the same as that of the Il-2 attack aircraft.
The two attack aircraft are comparable.
This batch of aircraft arrived during the rest period of the battle, although it was a little late. However, this kind of dive bomber suffered heavy losses in the first stage of the battle. However, with the support of the pilots from the fraternal units, the overall loss was not too large. Moreover,
According to Yang Zhen's requirements, each type of aircraft must have a certain reserve of reserve pilots. The pilots are almost ready-made, so the combat effectiveness is formed very quickly.
Within a week of taking over the aircraft, the combat effectiveness was basically formed, and because of its range and its ability to fight against ships, it was transferred to the customs to participate in the war. In this Qikou battle, this type of aircraft is more suitable than the Il-2 attack aircraft.
The aircraft used in anti-ship combat served as the main force of light attack aircraft on the front line of the Anti-Japanese Alliance. With their consistent high-precision hit rate, they played a huge role in this battle.
According to the tactical requirements of the Anti-Japanese Alliance aviation, this kind of dive bomber was specially designed to deal with the Japanese command system, as well as material and ammunition reserve areas, as well as heavy weapons positions. During the air attack on the Sanhuzhuang front line, these aircraft used high-precision dive bombing
, immediately defeated all the anti-aircraft fire positions and artillery positions of the 44th Division, opening a channel for subsequent attacks by the Blenheim and Il-2 attack aircraft groups.
Before the Japanese troops could wake up from the air raid, the Anti-Union B 24 bomber group, which had completed the air raid on Qikou Beach, returned to Peiping Airport to refuel and add bombs, and then flew to the front line of Sanhuzhuang again.
There was another carpet bombing of the Sanhuzhuang front line.
The entire Sanhuzhuang front line was covered with thick smoke, and there were napalm bombs igniting sky-high fires everywhere. The 44th Division of the Osaka Division, which used to be hurried slowly, was always unable to work hard when advancing, and was slow to move.
Soldiers, who suffered heavy losses in the bombing can be regarded as reaping the consequences.
As for investing so many aircraft in one go, even heavy bombers like the B-24 were dispatched to participate in the bombing of the landing Japanese troops. It’s not that Du Kaishan was wasting ammunition and fuel needlessly and holding precious aviation resources.
Fuel is not a big deal.
The reason why he dispatched so many aircraft was to carry out air strikes against the Japanese army almost regardless of the cost. There is only one reason, and that is that although Yang Zhen mobilized almost all the bombers and attack aircraft units in the North China battlefield this time, and from the battlefield outside the Pass
Two B-24 bomber squadrons were mobilized.
But the bombers and attack aircraft groups allocated to him by Yang Zhen were not required to cooperate with him until the end of the war. The time left to cooperate with him in the battle was only two days, only forty-eight hours to be exact. In other words, starting from yesterday morning, these
The aviation force is under his command.
But after four o'clock this afternoon, among all the aircraft participating in the battle, there will only be one squadron each of attack aircraft and light bombers, and two squadrons of SBD dive bombers. The rest of the combat aircraft will be transferred away. Including those of the previous day.
The fleet participating in the attack on the Bohai Bay included two heavy bomber squadrons transferred from the Northeast half a month ago.
With the whole of Hebei and southern Shanxi in a state of chaos, it was impossible for Yang Zhen to put too many aviation forces on one battlefield. He temporarily suspended ground support for all theaters except for the battlefield in southeastern Shanxi for two days.
Yang Zhen has already made a lot of determination.
If it were not the front-line battlefield of Qikou, it would be too important for the front battlefield of Hebei and Shandong. In addition, the Japanese navy fleet has a large number of large-caliber naval guns with a range of more than 30 kilometers, which poses a threat to the depth of the Qikou battlefield. Yang Zhen also
There would be no concentration of so many aircraft on a single battlefield.
Even within a short period of time, Yang Zhen would not do this. He would deal with the Japanese troops who landed on the Qikou battlefield as soon as possible. Using the Qikou battlefield as a support point, he would trigger fundamental changes in the entire war situation in the Hebei-Shandong border war zone and speed up the war.
Progress, in order to free up two armored divisions for the main battlefield on the Eastern Front, was the reason why Yang Zhen was so determined.