Chapter 208: Large-scale Air Raid
East bank of the Yellow River, Fenglingdu Airport
Rows of Japanese military aircraft painted with blood-red “plaster” markings gleamed with cold metallic luster under the autumn sun.
Type 96 Land Attackers, Type 97 Heavy Bombers, Type 97 Fighters… all types of aircraft were densely arrayed like bloodthirsty locusts, with ground crew bustling about like worker ants, busy with refueling, arming, and maintenance work.
Harsh alarm sirens occasionally pierced the sky, pilots dressed in heavy flight suits with their habitual arrogance and bloodlust gathered in twos and threes beside the hangars, awaiting the order to scramble.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of aviation fuel and the tense restlessness before a major battle.
Beside the apron of Fenglingdu Airport, the atmosphere inside the temporary operations briefing tent was grim.
Japanese Army Shanxi Detachment Flight 60th Squadron commander, Colonel Tetsuji Iga, was standing before dozens of pilots and junior officers delivering the final operational briefing.
Tetsuji Iga was not tall, but unusually burly, his swarthy face covered in puffy flesh, a ferocious knife scar running from his left brow bone all the way to the corner of his mouth, adding even more ferocity to his already vicious features.
He wore a crisp air service uniform, with a command saber at his waist, his gaze sharp.
“Gentlemen!” Tetsuji Iga’s voice was hoarse and low, “I know you always complain that the Chinese air force is too weak, that your daily missions are just bombing worthless mud huts and Chinese infantry who can’t fight back.
Now your chance has come. Commander Yoshio Shizuka has just issued orders. The Chinese Shanxi militia entrenched in the Wutaian region, ignorant of death, dares to covet the skies and establish their so-called air force. This is an open provocation to the majesty of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service! It is an even more despicable obstruction to the great cause of the ‘Holy War’!”
He slammed his fist on the table in front of him, causing the water glass on it to jump up with a piercing clatter.
“Our mission is only one!” Tetsuji Iga’s gaze swept over every pilot present, his eyes filled with coldness and bloodthirst, “That is… to completely destroy Jiuqu River Airport!
Turn those arrogant Chinese pilots, along with their planes, runways, and hangars, all into scorched earth! Let them know that this sky forever belongs only to the eagles of the Imperial Japanese Army!”
The Japanese pilots present, upon hearing this, had bloodthirsty gleams in their eyes and let out a low chorus of assent, like the growls of wild beasts.
These pilots were mostly veteran soldiers with rich experience, their hands stained with the blood of Chinese military and civilians. For such “punitive” missions against the violent Chinese, they were already adept and even enjoyed them.
Tetsuji Iga picked up a slender pointer and pointed to the Jiuqu River Airport area prominently marked on the map.
“According to intelligence, although Jiuqu River Airport was just completed, it already has some defensive capability and may possess a small number of fighters obtained from the United States.”
A trace of disdain crept into Tetsuji Iga’s tone, “But in the face of the Imperial Army’s overwhelming air power, this is nothing more than mantis trying to stop a chariot, overrating their own strength!”
He was about to continue speaking when a major leaned in and whispered, “Squadron commander, the two reconnaissance planes we sent out haven’t returned, and just now No. 2 recon plane sent back a telegram, but only half of it came through before losing contact. Should we send more people to scout and then make plans?”
“What plans?”
Tetsuji Iga sneered, “That No. 2 recon plane already transmitted the situation and position of the Chinese airport. Its disappearance now can only mean two things: either the radio failed, or it was shot down by the Chinese.
If it’s the former, there’s no need to waste effort; if the latter, we have even more reason to avenge them. Don’t you even understand that?”
“Hai!” The major quickly lowered his head.
Tetsuji Iga ignored him and then said loudly, “Everyone listen to my orders now!”
“The first wave attack will be carried out by our Type 97 Heavy Bomber formation! Target: airport runway, hangars, and all visible ground facilities! Ensure to paralyze their takeoff and landing capability at the first moment!” He heavily tapped the runway and hangar icons on the map with the pointer.
“Second wave attack, Type 96 Land Attacker formation follows up! Conduct supplementary bombing and strafing on remaining airport targets! Focus on clearing their anti-aircraft fire points!”
“Our Type 97 Fighter formation will provide escort for the bomber group throughout! Eliminate all Chinese aircraft daring to take off and intercept! I want all Chinese planes and pilots to be shredded like paper under the gunfire of our Imperial fighters!”
“This operation is codenamed ‘Thunderbolt’!” Tetsuji Iga raised his voice, “Gentlemen… be sure to strike fast, accurate, and ruthless! One-hit kill! Give the enemy no chance to breathe! Let those Chinese daring to resist the Imperial Army tremble under our thunderous wrath!”
“Long live the Emperor! Long live the Imperial Japanese Army!”
With Tetsuji Iga’s arm raised high in a shout, the Japanese pilots and officers present shouted fanatically in unison like they had been injected with chicken blood, the roar nearly lifting the roof of the briefing tent.
After the briefing ended, the pilots dispersed, each heading to their own aircraft.
Ground crew were conducting final checks, heavy aerial bombs being loaded into the bombers’ bomb bays one by one, machine gun ammo belts being fully replenished.
Engine roars rose and fell, huge propellers beginning to turn slowly, whipping up gusts of wind.
At the same time, in the vicinity of Wutaian, the four radar stations urgently constructed under Su Yaoyang’s orders were racing against time. Among them, the radar station located on the summit of a steep high mountain to the west of Wutaian bore the most critical westward early warning task.
The core equipment of this radar station was a Chain Home type radar that Su Yaoyang had redeemed.
This radar was a mainstay of British homeland air defense in the early stages of World War II in another spacetime. Though primitive by later standards—for example, it could not directly measure target altitude, requiring multi-station triangulation or signal strength estimation—and with its massive size, antenna array like a vast metal forest.
But on the 1938 Chinese battlefield, this was absolutely a god-tier weapon beyond its era.
At this moment, the massive steel-frame antenna stood majestically on the mountaintop, long feeder lines connecting to the camouflaged radar operations cabin in the mountain cave. Inside the cabin, several young radar operators personally selected and trained were sweating profusely as they performed final equipment calibration.
The diesel generator rumbled lowly, providing power to the radar system. On the oscilloscope screen, the green scan line rotated steadily circle after circle, emitting faint fluorescence, the air filled with the characteristic ozone smell of operating equipment and tense atmosphere.
“Old Wang, is the voltage stable?” A radar operator responsible for power stared tensely at the instrument panel and asked his companion beside him.
“No problem, everything normal!” Old Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead and responded loudly.
Sitting in front of the oscilloscope, the young radar operator responsible for observation stared intently at the screen.
His task was to discern true enemy aircraft signals from the constantly rotating green light and occasional clutter. This required great patience and concentration.
“Captain, this thing… can it really see planes hundreds of miles away?”
The young radar operator muttered softly with some lack of confidence, though his gaze never left the screen.
It was his first time handling this foreign gadget called the “clairvoyant eye,” and though he had undergone short training, he still felt uneasy.
The person in charge of the radar station was a relatively experienced veteran soldier surnamed Zhang, whom everyone called Captain Zhang.
He patted the radar operator’s shoulder and said gravely, “Li Quanyou, don’t overthink it! The commander said this thing sees farther than our eyes, hears clearer than our ears! As long as we operate it properly, we can spot those little devils early! Buy precious warning time for our airport brothers!”
Though Captain Zhang spoke easily, he was equally tense inside. He knew whether this radar station functioned normally directly affected the safety of Jiuqu River Airport and the lives of countless comrades.
At that moment, Little Li, who had been staring fixedly at the screen, suddenly exclaimed “Eh,” his body lurching forward, almost pressing against the oscilloscope screen.
On the originally calm green scan line, a cluster of tiny, dense light spots suddenly appeared, like scattering bits of silver on a tranquil lake surface. These light spots steadily appeared in a certain sector of the screen and flickered rhythmically with the scan line’s rotation.
“C-Captain… y-you… quick look!” Little Li’s voice trembled with excitement and tension as he pointed at the light spots on the screen, “Th-this… what’s this?!”
Captain Zhang’s heart tightened at the words, and he immediately leaned over. When he saw the exceptionally clear and numerous light spots on the screen, his face changed drastically!
As someone trained in basic radar operation, he knew all too well what this meant! This was absolutely not ordinary clutter or natural interference! This was… the return signal of a large-scale air formation!
“Damn it!” Captain Zhang sucked in a cold breath, feeling a chill rush from his feet to his head. Almost instinctively, he swung backhand and slapped the still-dazed Little Li on the back of the head, with such force it nearly stunned him.
“What are you standing there for! It’s enemy planes! Large-scale enemy formation!” Captain Zhang roared, his voice hoarse. Without time to explain more, he shoved Little Li aside, grabbed the handset of the nearby hand-crank field telephone, and cranked the handle with all his strength.
“Hello?! Hello?! Is this Jiuqu River Airport?! Emergency alert! Emergency alert!”
Captain Zhang’s voice was shrill and piercing from extreme tension and urgency, echoing in the small radar cabin, “West! West side detects large number of unidentified flying targets! Extremely numerous!
Approaching our airspace at high speed! Repeat! West side detects large number of unidentified flying targets! Extremely numerous! Approaching our airspace at high speed! Request immediate entry into highest alert!!”
On the other end of the line was the command center at Jiuqu River Airport. The duty communications staff officer dropped his pencil to the floor with a clatter upon hearing the alert from the radar station.
