Chapter 79: Airstrike

Wang Wei shook his head, "According to intelligence, the enemy has no effective Anti-aircraft weapon. We can fly at low altitude and conduct precision bombing. But we must be careful not to be hit by the enemy's fire points."

The pilots nodded, boarded their planes, and prepared to execute this critical mission.

Tang Siling personally came to the airfield to greet the pilots.

"This mission is of vital importance. The enemy's Rocket Launcher has posed a serious threat to our army; you must destroy it at all costs!"

Wang Wei gave a military salute, "Please rest assured, Commander, we will definitely complete the mission!"

With the roar of the Engine, five Bomber planes slowly taxied out of the runway, took off, and flew toward the direction of Li Yunlong's troops.

Tang Siling watched the departing planes, a glimmer of anticipation shining in his eyes.

This was his last hope—if the air raid could destroy the enemy's Rocket Launcher, perhaps the war situation could still be salvaged; if it failed, he would have to consider the possibility of a full-scale retreat.

……

After the enemy plane formation had flown for about half an hour, they approached the station of Li Yunlong's troops.

The pilots lowered their altitude to the extreme, attempting to avoid potential anti-aircraft fire.

"Target area reached, prepare to drop bombs!" Wang Wei ordered over the radio, and the plane he was piloting dived first.

Just at this moment, Li Yunlong, who was hiding among the mountain forests, suddenly saw the silhouettes of the planes, his expression changing drastically, "Damn it, the enemy planes are here! Everyone take cover!"

The enemy's first wave of bombing was quite precise; the bombs landed exactly where Li Yunlong had deployed the Rocket Launcher yesterday.

The sound of the massive explosion echoed through the valley, and smoke and dust rose into the sky.

"Too bad, that place was already empty." Li Yunlong sneered, watching the planes circle in preparation for a second round of bombing.

But he knew in his heart that without an Anti-aircraft weapon, they could only passively take a beating, which was a supreme humiliation for Li Yunlong, who had always been one to take the initiative.

"Order all troops to find bunkers and hide, do not expose our positions!" Li Yunlong ordered through gritted teeth, "At the same time, prepare a telegram to request emergency support for an Anti-aircraft weapon from our superiors!"

The enemy's bombing lasted for nearly two hours; although it did not directly hit the Rocket Launcher position, it did indeed cause significant losses and harassment to Li Yunlong's troops.

More importantly, this forced Li Yunlong's offensive plan to be interrupted and shifted to a defensive posture.

After the bombing ended, Wang Wei returned to the base with the formation and reported the situation to Tang Siling:

"The enemy is well-hidden. We failed to directly hit the Rocket Launcher, but we struck several of their suspected positions and supply points."

Tang Siling felt slightly disappointed, but also breathed a sigh of relief, "At least we interrupted the enemy's offensive. Continue to organize air raids; do not give the enemy a chance to catch their breath!"

The Chief of Staff suggested, "Commander, we can conduct scheduled air raids every day to force the enemy not to concentrate their forces, and then look for opportunities to counterattack."

Tang Siling nodded, "Let's do that. At the same time, strengthen the construction of the defense line and stretch the front to avoid being concentratedly struck by the Rocket Launcher."

The enemy forces began to adjust their tactics, deploying troops in a dispersed manner and constructing deeper underground bunkers to reduce the lethality of the Rocket Launcher.

At the same time, they sent planes to harass and bomb almost every day, forcing Li Yunlong's troops to frequently relocate their positions.

Li Yunlong was driven to stomp his feet in frustration, his belly full of fire with nowhere to vent.

"Damn it, the enemy has grown bold, daring to be so arrogant!" Li Yunlong smashed the table fiercely, "My Rocket Launcher can't hit the sky; this war is impossible to fight!"

Zhao Gang analyzed calmly, "The enemy has already found a way to deal with the Rocket Launcher—air power. We must obtain anti-aircraft capabilities as soon as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to continue the advance."

"Send a telegram to the Military Department, saying that we are being bombed by enemy planes every day and urgently need Anti-aircraft weapon support! Tell them that with an Anti-aircraft weapon, I guarantee I'll slaughter them all again!" Li Yunlong gritted his teeth.

……

Meanwhile, inside the enemy command headquarters, Tang Siling finally revealed a long-lost smile.

"It seems we have found a way to restrain Li Yunlong," Tang Siling said to the Chief of Staff, "As long as we maintain air superiority, no matter how powerful the enemy's Rocket Launcher is, it won't be able to be deployed."

The Chief of Staff nodded, "Yes, Commander. But we must also be vigilant; the enemy might obtain an Anti-aircraft weapon. If that happens, the situation will become complicated again."

Tang Siling narrowed his eyes, "Then hurry up, while the enemy still lacks anti-aircraft capabilities, destroy as many of their Rocket Launcher units and effective forces as possible!"

Two days later, Tang Siling received a piece of intelligence that made him overjoyed: Li Yunlong's troops had their morale affected to a certain extent due to frequent air raids, and their stock of Rocket Shell units was also running low.

"The opportunity has come!" Tang Siling slapped the table, "Order the third and fifth regiments to prepare for a counterattack! I want to drive Li Yunlong back to his lair!"

The Chief of Staff was somewhat worried, "Commander, the power of the enemy's Rocket Launcher is too great; is it risky to attack rashly?"

Tang Siling was confident, "We have air cover, and we have already formulated new tactics—dispersed deployment, rapid maneuvering, and avoiding concentrated beatings. As long as we don't give the enemy's Rocket Launcher a chance to concentrate its fire, we can suppress them!"

Just like that, both the enemy and our side fell into a brief stalemate phase.

The enemy forces utilized their air superiority to continuously harass and bomb while adjusting their deployment in preparation for a counterattack; meanwhile, Li Yunlong was anxiously waiting for support for an Anti-aircraft weapon, hoping to regain the initiative on the battlefield.

……

Although the bombing did not cause too many casualties, Li Yunlong's activities were indeed restricted.

Without an Anti-aircraft weapon, they could only stare blankly while hiding in mountain caves.

"Damn it, with air superiority, the enemy has become arrogant again!" Li Yunlong stomped his feet in anger, "Don't we have any Anti-aircraft weapon?"

Zhao Gang shook his head, "This kind of equipment is scarce and is currently concentrated in the north; here, we can only rely on concealment to avoid them."

Li Yunlong paced back and forth while cursing, then suddenly his eyes lit up, "Old Zhao, do you think we can aim the Rocket Launcher at the sky?"

"Are you crazy? That Rocket Shell is not an anti-aircraft shell; how could it possibly hit a high-speed flying plane?" Zhao Gang was shocked.

Li Yunlong was unwilling to give up, and that very day he ordered the Platoon Leader Xiao Zhang to take some men to try it, but the result was naturally futile, wasting several precious Rocket Shell units in vain.

"Forget it," Li Yunlong gritted his teeth, "Send a telegram to the Military Department to report the situation on the front line, saying that the enemy has started bombing with planes and requesting support for an Anti-aircraft weapon!"

The telegram was sent out quickly, and it also included Li Yunlong's detailed report on the combat achievements of the 107 Rocket Launcher.

"Tell them to send me another hundred Rocket Launcher units, and I guarantee I'll drive all the enemies off the continent!" Li Yunlong said triumphantly.

……

Meanwhile, in Jingcheng, preparations were underway for the first New Year's Day celebration after the founding of the nation, and the streets and alleys were decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, filled with a festive atmosphere.

Inside the Military Industry Department conference room, however, the atmosphere was unusually heavy.