For Saburo Endo, who was pale at this time, the pilot's report confirmed his previous concerns about the true air strength of the mysterious opponent.
Clusters, but this is exactly what he least wants to see.
After signaling the adjutant behind him to take the camera handed over by the pilot and asking the pilot to be sent away, Saburo Endo told his adjutant to immediately send it to the technical room of the 15th Reconnaissance Aircraft Team at the airport and flush it in the shortest possible time.
Come out. And he was waiting outside the technical room, showing it to himself as soon as the photo came out.
After the adjutant who took the order left, Saburo Endo declined Takesan Aoki's request to go back and rest. Instead, he had a chair moved and sat on the edge of the airport runway to wait for the return of the follow-up plane. Although he knew that he would not be able to return.
However, Saburo Endo still hopes that his heroic pilots can create miracles and escape from the hands of superior enemy forces.
But as the hands of his pocket watch passed by minute by minute, Endo Saburo's heart became colder and colder. But noon was already passed, and there was no trace of the plane that should have returned long ago. Let alone return, it was just one o'clock.
No news came through. Even like the Type 98 dive bomber that was crippled, no one returned with injuries.
At the same time, he sent a telegram every hour asking if there were any fighter planes returning from the airports in Mudanjiang and other places, but the other party gave the same answer that no fighter planes had been seen. Saburo Endo, who was originally a little unwilling to give up, completely understood that those planes dispatched to bomb Founder were probably
We have encountered an unexpected situation and there is no possibility of returning.
Looking at the pocket watch in his hand, it was already pointing to three o'clock in the afternoon. Even though he was sitting under the hot summer sunshine in Northern Manchuria, Saburo Endo's heart was colder than the freezing weather in Northern Manchuria. He knew that at this time,
Those planes that took off have no chance of coming back.
Even though Harbin Airport is less than 200 kilometers away from Founder, in such a long time, even the Type 97 heavy bomber with the longest range has already run out of fuel. It has not returned at this time, and there are no other airports that do not belong to
Report of the landing of planes at this airport. Now he can confirm that all the planes dispatched to bomb the enemy forces in Founder's territory in accordance with the request of General Umezu Yoshijiro have been lost.
What he knows more about are the more than 200 planes, plus the hundreds of planes blown up by the enemy at Qiqihar Airport, and the more than 300 planes lost during the previous attacks on Mudanjiang and Muling Airports.
, already constitutes almost 90% of the combat strength of the Kwantung Army Aviation Corps.
After the loss of these aircraft, the once strong self still had the power to carry out combat. In addition to the more than 200 primary and intermediate trainer aircraft in several flight schools directly under the Kwantung Army, which were basically without combat effectiveness, the remaining
Half of the 2nd Flight Regiment stationed in Hoinyong, North Korea, has more than 30 fighter jets and more than 20 dive bombers.
In other words, in just one morning, Saburo Endo of the Kwantung Army Aviation Corps lost almost all the flying power under his command. It seemed that it was still full in the morning, but now it was except for the Type 98 dive bomber that was actually scrapped.
Outside, the airport is deserted.
Saburo Endo could no longer control the emotion in his heart. He didn't know whether it was anger or pain. He opened his mouth and spurted out a mouthful of blood. He rolled his eyes and passed out. Seeing that the commander was so angry that he vomited blood, Colonel Aoki Takesan hurriedly threw his hands.
The eight-footed man carried Saburo Endo into his special car and drove to Harbin Medical University without any delay.
At this time, Saburo Endo was not the only one suffering from the unfavorable battle situation. Saburo Endo, who had passed out in a coma, did not know that right now, while he was waiting for his subordinates to return home, there was someone in Founder who was more powerful than him.
Painful. Although I didn’t vomit blood, it was almost there.
Not only did the long-awaited air support promised by General Umezu Yoshijiro not arrive, but he was bombarded indiscriminately during the afternoon battle. Naturally, Kita Seiichi's mood was not much better. The troops suffered in the air raid.
The heavy casualties made him even more worried about the next battle situation.
Especially after receiving the news that the Second Wing was desperately trying to cross the Ant River and had even seen hope of breaking through. During the process of crossing, they encountered an air attack that was obviously carefully planned and could be described as perfectly planned.
The telegram sent out the message that the general's vitality was severely damaged. Kita Seiichi almost became brothers with Saburo Endo on the spot.
During the entire process of crossing, the Second Wing encountered multiple batches of repeated bombing and strafing by large aircraft groups. Under the attack of the opponent's ground and air firepower, the Second Wing was abruptly blown into pieces. Not only was it unable to support the Hedong operation,
On the contrary, he was bombed and lost his combat effectiveness. Not only could the rescue division fail, but the main force of the division was now needed to rescue him.
The reinforcements promised by General Umezu have already arrived at Yanshou's independent second garrison. However, they did not even reach Fangzheng territory. They were bombed on the way and lost their combat effectiveness. They had to go home. The reinforcements were destroyed.
Crippled, they had to return home. The loss of air control made the situation of the 14th Division even more difficult.
Since the Japanese army itself always has superiority in firepower in the air and on the ground when facing a squadron, not to mention the independent garrison of a garrison, it is a general field division except for a small number of 13mm anti-aircraft machine guns.
, there are only four 88-type 75mm anti-aircraft guns at most. Even a large part of the divisions are not equipped with anti-aircraft weapons at all. Because they are covered by the powerful Imperial Army Aviation, being bombed is the exclusive patent of the opponent.
Now the situation has turned around. When faced with an air strike from the opponent, the 14th Division, which only has a few anti-aircraft machine guns, has almost no power to fight back and can only endure the passive attack. It is not that the 14th Division does not have anti-aircraft guns. As a standing reserve of the Japanese army
When the divisions and the 14th Division are fighting, they are usually strengthened with a 75mm anti-aircraft gun squadron and one to two 20mm machine gun squadrons.
But unfortunately, after the Mudanjiang Airport was hit by an air attack, in order to ensure that the Mudanjiang Airport, which had been repaired with great difficulty, would not encounter an air attack, as well as the safety of the enemy's headquarters. In addition to the two independent field operations directly under the Fifth Army, Namada Juichi
The entire anti-aircraft artillery brigade was transferred back to Mudanjiang to serve as air defense, and all the anti-aircraft artillery squadrons of the 14th Division were also transferred. In other words, except for a few anti-aircraft machine guns, the 14th Division currently does not have a piece of air defense equipment.
Under repeated bombing and strafing by the opponent's large fleet of aircraft, the 14th Division tried its best to break the blockade, but its efforts to rejoin were shattered like soap bubbles. When it finally regained control with the Kwantung Army Headquarters and the Fifth Army,
After making radio contact with the reinforcements and learning about the situation of the reinforcements, Kita Makoto almost didn't come up even for a breath.
The Second Independent Garrison was crippled in the air strike and lost its combat effectiveness. The 29th Division was almost unable to move under the opponent's air attack. Reinforcements were delayed and it was difficult for the 29th Division to move forward.
For Seiichi Kita and his Fourteenth Division, the three pieces were nothing more than a bolt from the blue.
His own reinforcements were delayed, and during the day of the battle, Kita Chengichi was keenly aware from the intermittent and limited contact with his subordinates that his opponent had already rushed to the Founder's territory to join the battle in large numbers. Especially
After learning that a large number of enemy troops were also present in the south and southeast of Fangzheng County, Kita Seiichi knew that the enemy's encirclement on the east bank of the Ant River had been completed. For the 14th Division now, there is no way to escape death if they don't think of a way.
The problem is that there is no life left.
Standing at the entrance of the division department, Kita Makoto looked at the opponent's aircraft flying across the sky from time to time, and almost cursed the Kwantung Army intelligence department in his heart. With such a powerful aviation force in the hands of his opponent, the intelligence department before
Actually didn't notice it at all.
It’s good to know now that when fighting in the China Pass, the Imperial Army used its overwhelming aviation power to blow up the China Army that had no air cover. But in Manchuria, which was the Empire’s paradise two years ago, it was
The whole thing was adjusted one position. Now it was the Imperial Army that suffered heavy losses from the bombing, not those damn Chinese.
Didn't the Kwantung Army swear that its opponent was just a bandit force with poor equipment and no better equipment than the Kwantung China government army? They failed in last year's autumn battle. They were just lucky enough to seize the deployment errors of the Imperial Army.
So where did the fierce artillery fire that hit my head come from at the beginning of this battle? And where did the plane hovering above my head come from?
Kita Chengyi understood that the opponent had not launched an air attack on Fangzheng County. It was not because they had any compassion. It was because there were tens of thousands of Manchus in Fangzheng County, so they had to be cautious. Otherwise, what would happen to him who was currently in Fangzheng County?
It won't be any better than the troops outside the county town.
Looking at the circling planes in the sky and the bleak battle situation on the ground, Kita Chengyi gritted his teeth knowing that the 14th Division was completely defeated in this battle. On the contrary, it aroused the Japanese people's anxiety to lose.
It was the bachelor's natural gambling character. He said to the division's combat staff behind him: "Tell each wing to wait until the enemy planes withdraw at dusk to abandon all positions and throw away all equipment that cannot be carried. The entire division will concentrate its forces and move towards
The direction of the 59th Regiment is approaching."
"Telegram to the captain of the 2nd Regiment, Colonel Oniwu Goto, that there is no need to forcefully cross the Ant River, abandon all the baggage, and immediately break out from the current position in the direction of Yanshou. The captain of the 59th Regiment, telegraph to Colonel Nasu Yumio, concentrate all forces and support the division.
The regiment headquarters breaks out. As for Colonel Takayama Turtle, let them decide what to do based on the situation."
"Immediately notify the units directly under the division and seize the time to distribute additional ammunition and dry food. Blow up all weapons, artillery, cars, and ammunition that cannot be carried. When breaking through, except for grenades and weapons below heavy machine guns,
, all artillery must be abandoned."
Having said this, Kita Seiichi hesitated for a moment and then said: "It's better not to blow up the equipment that cannot be carried. Once it blows up here, fools will know what we are going to do. Remove the running bolts and sights of all artillery.
Take them away, destroy all the engines in the car and dump them all in Fangzheng County. Leave all the wounded who cannot be carried away, and give each person a weapon to delay the opponent's pursuit. "
"We can no longer wait for General Umezu Yoshijiro's flashy promises, let alone wait any longer at Founder. Our reinforcements are delayed in arriving, but the opponent's reinforcements are gathering more and more. If we wait any longer, the 14th Division will really
The whole army will be destroyed here."
"I just trusted General Umezu Yoshijiro's promise too much to get to where we are today. If I had been like Lieutenant General Uemura and retreated when the situation turned bad, we would not have ended up like this. Instead of the whole division being here,
It's been consumed bit by bit, so we might as well fight to the death, maybe we can still have a way out. Break out immediately, and the further we open, the better."
Read ads-free, full-text, error-free novels, -w.w.w..c.o.m, your best choice!