Chapter 170: Must Have Our Own Air Force
Wu Qingyun saw this and frowned, saying: “This is a wasteland. Due to its remote location near the mountains and being a saline-alkali flatland with little economic value, locals rarely go there except to gather firewood.
Commander, you want the tank battalion to stand by there, meaning…”
Su Yaoyang looked at him approvingly: “Correct. It’s remote and far from Wild Wolf Valley. Even if the Japanese attack Wild Wolf Valley, they won’t check there. Hiding the tank battalion there is perfect.”
Hearing this, everyone immediately understood Su Yaoyang’s intention.
Huang Guantao worriedly said: “Commander, do you plan to have the tank battalion attack from behind the Japanese when they assault Wild Wolf Valley?
This method sounds good, but it requires perfect coordination between both sides. Otherwise, if friendly forces fail to coordinate in time, the entire tank battalion will be surrounded by the Japanese, and it will be in great danger then.”
“Of course I know there will be danger.” Su Yaoyang said: “But we’re doing high-risk work licking blood from the blade’s edge. How can we not take risks?
If it fails, the tank battalion is certainly in danger, but if it succeeds, our gains will be enormous.
John, do you dare to take this mission?”
Su Yaoyang asked this last sentence while staring into John’s eyes.
“Boss, after you’ve said that, how can I say no?” John smiled bitterly.
He thought for a moment and then said: “Commander, I have one condition. I hope you can agree to it.”
“Go ahead.”
“I hope you can assign me an anti-aircraft company and an infantry battalion. Although the tank battalion has its own infantry company, the troops are still too few. On such a large-scale battlefield, without infantry cover, it’s too dangerous for the tank battalion to strike alone.”
“No problem.” Su Yaoyang readily agreed. “Which infantry unit do you want?”
“If possible, First Battalion of the First Regiment.”
“You really dare to ask!” Su Yaoyang was amused and annoyed.
As the most veteran unit in the Shanxi Militia, First Battalion of the First Regiment had the most seasoned soldiers, the richest combat experience, and was also the strongest infantry battalion. If John took First Battalion away, it would significantly weaken the First Regiment’s combat strength, which would have a major impact on the regiment.
“Just say if you’ll give it or not?” John adopted a stance of not giving up without it, amusing the nearby officers.
“Fine… I’ll give it.”
In the end, Su Yaoyang gritted his teeth and agreed to John’s request. Without enough strength, the tank battalion’s strike would just be a joke.
After arranging everything, the officers left one after another to return to their units and make preparations.
Everyone had a premonition that the upcoming battle with the 20th Division would be extremely fierce and a decisive battle for the survival of the Shanxi Militia.
Half an hour later, watching the last Sherman tank belching blue smoke disappear from his sight, Su Yaoyang took a deep breath and muttered: “Come on… little Japs, let’s see whether your bushido is stronger or my steel and shells are stronger?”
Wu Qingyun and several staff officers watched Su Yaoyang standing motionless at the roadside for a long time. They wanted to persuade him to return to the command post, but after exchanging glances, no one dared to step forward.
Everyone knew that ever since Li Gaoyuan was wounded by Japanese planes and his life hung in the balance, he had been harboring a belly full of pent-up rage. Who would dare to step forward and touch this sore spot?
In the end, all the staff officers’ gazes gathered on Wu Qingyun. After all, everyone was a staff officer, but he was the chief one.
With no choice, Wu Qingyun braced himself, stepped forward two steps, and said in a low voice: “Commander, let’s return to the command post. It’s not safe staying here.”
“Got it.” Unexpectedly, Su Yaoyang did not get angry and silently returned to the command post.
The staff officers and several guards finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one fears the well rope for ten years. What they feared most now was Japanese planes suddenly appearing from the sky to strafe them or drop a few bombs. If something happened to Su Yaoyang again, they might as well find a rope to hang themselves.
But as the old saying goes, what you fear most is exactly what comes.
Just after Su Yaoyang returned to the command post, shrill alarm sounds suddenly rang out across the position, followed immediately by bursts of artillery fire nearby.
Su Yaoyang immediately recognized it as the sound of Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns.
“Air defense… watch for air defense…”
“The Japs’ planes are coming again! Take cover quickly!”
Officers’ shouts and curses rang out across the position.
“Let’s… go out and see…”
Su Yaoyang pushed open the wooden door of the command post, and a choking smell of gunpowder immediately filled his nostrils.
He narrowed his eyes and saw the sky torn open with several gray-white streaks… Three Type 1 fighters were diving down in wedge formation, the sun emblems under their wings stinging the eyes.
Four more Type 96 attack aircraft circled close to the clouds, their dropped bombs exploding into a string of blackened dirt plumes on the position, with shockwaves hurling debris that crackled against the doorframe.
Suddenly, on the distant anti-aircraft position, a string of orange-red flames burst out, tracer rounds weaving a trembling net in the low air.
Su Yaoyang recognized it as their Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft guns firing.
Seeing the anti-aircraft fire rising from the ground, one Type 96 abruptly pulled up its nose, a bomb releasing from its belly and plummeting vertically to the ground, the aircraft’s aluminum skin glinting along the trajectory like a silver-scaled venomous snake.
The explosion rolled like muffled thunder over the trenches. Not far from the command post, a new recruit huddled behind sandbags, clutching his head, his lips trembling under his steel helmet.
“Boom…”
Accompanied by a earth-shattering explosion, the entire ground trembled. Su Yaoyang in the command post felt his ears ringing, and it took a while to slowly recover.
Wu Qingyun explained: “That’s the Japanese 250-kg Type 97 No. 6 bomb. This bomb has enormous destructive power and is one of the commonly used aerial bombs by the Japanese Army Air Service.
The Japanese also have a more powerful 500-kg bomb, but it’s mostly used for important strategic targets like bridges and factories, and is rarely seen in general situations.”
Su Yaoyang’s face was very grim as he suddenly said: “Air force… we must have our own air force…”
Wu Qingyun smiled bitterly. Who didn’t want their own air force? But getting airplanes wasn’t that easy. Even if they luckily obtained one or two, where to find pilots?
Su Yaoyang said nothing, but his thoughts had already flown to distant America. He wondered how many people John could bring over?
If he could get fifty… no… even just twenty or thirty, he could form a fighter squadron.
As long as they had planes, he wouldn’t be so passive, and Japanese planes wouldn’t dare to shit on his head so recklessly.
