Chapter 331

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The aircraft formation flew over Anqing City. According to the agreement made before takeoff, they did not bomb the urban area, so as not to accidentally injure civilians, and mainly attacked the Japanese air base and port in Anqing.

The Japanese fighter planes in Anqing were down to only eleven, and all had already taken off at this moment.

But facing such a huge formation of Xia Guo's aircraft, those Japanese fighters dared not approach rashly, and could only watch from afar.

As they approached Anqing Airport, the lead pilot of the First Squadron of the Youth Corps Fighter Regiment first called over the radio: "Anqing Airport spotted! Runway visible, all enemy aircraft have taken off!"

"Escort First Squadron, follow me forward to clear the area, Second Squadron, high-altitude alert, remaining units cover the bombers!"

A squadron of BF109s immediately accelerated to break formation and swooped toward the Japanese fighters watching in the air.

This time, the Xia Guo Air Force actively attacked Anqing, using one bomber regiment and two fighter regiments of the Youth Corps;

the Soviet Air Volunteer Group dispatched one bomber regiment and one fighter regiment;

the Xia Guo Central Air Force also produced one fighter regiment.

A total of over 160 fighter planes attacked the forward base of the Central China Expeditionary Army Gangcun Ningci's Eleventh Army advancing on Wuhan—Anqing.

This air battle—if it could even be called an air battle—actually ended within a few minutes, mainly with Xia Guo's Air Force doing the bombing.

The eleven Japanese fighter planes almost formed no effective resistance.

The Youth Corps Fighter Regiment, at the cost of zero losses, easily wiped out the Japanese air force strength at Anqing Airport and completely mastered air superiority on the battlefield.

Only the Japanese anti-aircraft guns and heavy machine guns at the airport were shouting in vain.

"Enemy aircraft at the airport cleared! Bombers can enter to bomb! Repeat, enter to bomb!" the fighter pilot reported calmly.

"Bomber regiment, according to designated targets, begin dropping bombs! Prioritize runways, hangars, fuel depots, and control towers!" the bomber commander ordered.

The huge bomber formation began to enter the bomb-dropping course. First was the Youth Army Air Force's own mixed bomber formation.

Martin 139s and He-111s flew in the front, bomb bays open.

A humming bomb-dropping sound rose, strings of aerial bombs detached from their racks, and bombs whistled downward.

Boom! Rumble! Boom—!

Anqing Airport was instantly enveloped by continuous huge explosion fireballs and soaring smoke columns.

The runways were blown into huge shell craters, as if gnawed by a giant beast.

The brick-and-wood hangars collapsed in the explosions, fuel tanks were directly hit by heavy bombs, triggering secondary detonations, orange-red fireballs rose tens of meters high, black smoke billowed, clearly visible several kilometers away.

The control tower, communication antennas, and the barracks guarding the airport—all ground facilities trembled, shattered, and burned under the bombing.

Immediately after, the SB2 bomber formation of the Soviet Volunteer Air Force also entered the bombing position, only to find they had nothing left to bomb.

After completing the destructive strike on the airport, the huge formation did not immediately return.

The commander ordered over the radio: "Fighter regiment, reconnoiter the Anqing port area! Attack any valuable targets on your own! Bomber formation, follow and cover, prepare for supplementary strikes!"

The formation turned and swooped toward the port on the Yangtze River outside Anqing City.

Anqing's port was another forward base for the Japanese navy advancing along the Yangtze River to attack Wuhan.

The port scene was laid bare; the navy's main force had already gone to Ma Dangshan Fortress to cover the Bo Tian Detachment.

The port was originally a small harbor, but the Japanese kept extending the piers into deep water, creating many T-shaped wharves for temporary berthing and transporting supplies.

There were still many Japanese cargo ships transporting supplies docked at the wharves or anchored in the middle of the river.

Obviously, to support this great Wuhan campaign, the Japanese had transported a large amount of military supplies to Anqing via the Yangtze River and ships for distribution.

More conspicuous was that on the deck of a larger cargo ship, densely packed were Japanese soldiers in earth-yellow uniforms, at least eight hundred or more, clearly Japanese soldiers transported from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

"Enemy transport ship spotted! Large numbers of infantry on deck!" the pilot's voice carried the excitement of spotting prey.

"Attack! All fighters, freely attack ships on the river! Prioritize striking troop-carrying cargo ships!" orders were quickly issued.

Dozens of BF109s and Hawk III fighters immediately lowered their altitude and dove toward the Yangtze River.

Machine guns and cannons on the noses spat fire tongues, bullets and shells swept toward those cargo ships and sampans like a sudden storm.

That cargo ship crowded with Japanese soldiers became the key target.

The shells of the 20mm cannons easily tore through the wooden decks and superstructures, exploding into clusters of blood mist among the dense crowds.

Some BF109s carried aerial bombs under their bellies; bombs fell on the decks, Japanese soldiers had nowhere to hide, and fell in swathes.

The Japanese screams were drowned out by explosions and engine sounds; blood instantly dyed the decks red and flowed along the ship's sides into the river water.

Other cargo ships and vessels were also fiercely strafed, thick smoke rose from the ships, and some began to take on water and list.

The bomber formation was not idle either; some bombers still had bombs and conducted supplementary bombing of the port's wharf facilities, warehouses, and ships on the river.

Heavy bombs fell, wharves were blown down, warehouses burst into roaring fires, a cargo ship was directly hit in the middle, broken in two, and quickly sank to the river bottom.

Inside Anqing City, Tokugawa Yoshitoshi hid in an underground air raid shelter, listening to the rumbling bombing sounds from above, trembling in his heart.

"Report! The airport has been completely destroyed and no longer has takeoff and landing conditions; enemy fighters are bombing the port and ships on the river!"

Gangcun Ningci sat on a chair and looked at the dejected Tokugawa Yoshitoshi.

To deal with aircraft, the best method was to use air to control air; now Tokugawa Yoshitoshi's air corps was not in Anqing City, leaving himself being beaten very passively by Lv Muzhi's air force!

In the sky, it seemed Xia Guo's bombers had already left; the rumbling sound belonging to bombers in the sky was gone, but fighters could still be heard circling overhead.

"Report to Baron Tokugawa Yoshimi! The air corps formation heading to Ma Dang for combat reports!" a staff officer walked over holding a telegram.

Having failed Emperor Tenghuang and caused the campaign to suffer setbacks, Tokugawa Yoshitoshi was secretly grieving in the corner; where was the mood to look at a telegram?

Gangcun Ningci said: "Read it directly!"

"Yes!" the staff officer unfolded the telegram and read aloud: "The Ma Dang air battle has ended; our forces drove away Xia Guo's enemy aircraft over Ma Dang, shooting down over twenty enemy aircraft, including German fighters of the Youth Corps!

Currently returning!"

The Staff Officer finished reading the telegram, and Tokugawa Yoshitoshi suddenly stood up, lunging over to snatch the telegram!

Tokugawa Yoshitoshi was not excited because the battle report mentioned shooting down Youth Army fighters, but because he thought of another fatal problem:

"Do not return, Anqing Airport has already been destroyed, the enemy's fighters are still circling in the air waiting!"

"Do not return, here is not home!"

In Wuhan City, Soviet Air Volunteer Group General Shanov and Ambassador A Leisi opened a bottle of vodka.

General Shanov said happily: "General Lu, for victory, drink up!"

Ambassador A Leisi held up his wine bottle: "General Lu, pleasant cooperation, I've opened it, you drink as you please!"

The old man held a cup of white warm water: "Wei Yue, drink a little less......"