in2ebook Chapter 461: Aerial Victory
Chapter 461: Aerial Victory
In the narrow fortification, Colonel Yamamotoki waved his command knife with all his might and kicked up the Japanese soldier who was lying on the ground in a daze.
"Baga! Shoot now! Shoot!"
The Japanese soldier shook his head. He couldn't tell whether he was wandering around aimlessly or the fortifications were shaking due to the artillery shells of the independent column.
However, he still tried his best to pull out an anti-tank gun and loaded the ammunition with clumsy movements.
The gunner opened his eyes wide, trying to aim the crosshairs at the rows of tanks and armored vehicles, then pulled the gun rope with all his strength. A delicate shell flew out and hit the Tiger tank, but only left a small scratch.
The delicate cannonball, like a toothpick, pierced the giant's body, but caused no pain.
However, the Japanese seemed to have reacted and continued to fire anti-tank guns at the armored convoy.
There is nothing wrong with the Tiger tank, after all, it has thick skin and strong flesh.
But the Type 5 tank and half-track armored vehicles were not so lucky, especially the armored vehicles. Once they were hit, they were basically destroyed!
Fortunately, under the coverage of artillery fire, the Japanese anti-tank guns were not accurate, and until the advance team of the independent column had passed, they only lost three armored vehicles and one Tiger tank.
After rushing through the pass, Li Yunlong immediately commanded the advance team to rush towards Huairen.
Now Huairen only has the so-called Datong Security Army and a half-dead artillery regiment left, and Li Yunlong doesn't take them seriously at all!
After passing the pass, there was an open area. Li Yunlong ordered all tanks and armored vehicles to be deployed and surround Huairen.
"Get me the artillery division!"
"Commander, I'm Wang Chengzhu, please give me your instructions!"
"Zhu Zi, cover Huairen city with artillery fire! Five minutes!"
"Yes!"
Within five minutes, the artillery aimed all 150mm howitzers and 105mm howitzers at Huairen City, pouring dozens of tons of ammunition!
The smoke gradually dissipated. At Li Yunlong's command, the tank regiment began to charge, followed by the armored infantry regiment. In less than an hour, they wiped out the Japanese 11th Field Artillery Regiment, annihilated most of the Datong Security Army, and captured more than puppet troops!
Li Yunlong left an armored infantry battalion to guard the prisoners. He surrounded the group of prisoners with armored vehicles and fired machine guns at any movement.
Li Yunlong looked up at the dark masses of fighter planes gradually dispersing in the sky, and called Wang Meng with some concern.
"Mengzi, is the air battle over? How is the aviation division?"
"Old Li, the air battle is over. The Japanese planes have been driven away! According to preliminary statistics, the aviation division lost 40 planes, five pilots are missing, and three have died!"
"We must find the missing pilot! What are the results?"
"We shot down more than 170 enemy planes and damaged countless more!"
"Great, let's celebrate for them after we take over Datong!"
Fortunately, Wang Meng kept emphasizing to the pilots that if the plane was out of control, they must parachute in time and jump to the area controlled by the independent column.
Because the independent column has established a complete rescue mechanism. Local governments, militias and even the masses have been keeping an eye on the sky since the air battle began, and will rush over to rescue as soon as they see someone parachuting.
Once the rescue is successful, the reward will be at least ten dollars, and there will be supreme honor!
Therefore, although the Independent Column Aviation Division lost forty aircraft, most of the parachuted pilots were successfully rescued.
Without the threat of Japanese aircraft, the aviation division's B-17 Flying Fortress bombers began to come out and, under the escort of forty F6F Hellcat fighters, took off and prepared to fly over Datong.
At this time, Li Yunlong also began to assemble his troops and march towards Datong, 50 kilometers away.
Fumio Saeki in Datong City was panicked. Everything that happened today was beyond his expectations.
The independent column actually used artillery shells to blast open the anti-tank cones, without considering the cost-effectiveness at all?
And the independent column actually didn't follow the routine and ignored his first line of defense and marched deep into the enemy's territory alone? Aren't they afraid of being surrounded?
The most important thing is that two flying divisions and more than 240 aircraft were beaten back by the aviation division of the independent column, suffering heavy losses!
Datong is in danger!
"General, do the 11th and 12th Regiments need to withdraw to Datong?"
“No! Once these 8,000-plus imperial soldiers leave their fortifications, they will be blown to pieces by the bombs of the independent column! Moreover, once they evacuate Huairen, the independent column will march straight in, and Datong will be even more dangerous!
Leaving the 11th and 12th Regiments in Huairen will at least stop their light infantry!"
Fumio Saeki shook his head helplessly. If only one or two of these three unexpected results occurred, he had the confidence to defend Datong for five days!
But he didn't expect that there are so many coincidences in this world, and this coincidence will cost him his life!
"Order the 13th Regiment to prepare for total destruction! And send a message to General Okamura Yasuji to let him know that we are determined to die!"
After giving the order, Fumio Saeki directed the 13th Regiment to further demolish houses in the city and build barricades.
Given the independent column's superior firepower and powerful armor, a head-on confrontation would only hasten his death, so street fighting was his best option.
Datong is different from Linfen and Taiyuan. The city walls of Datong are not very strong.
To explain why, we have to start from the fifth year of Shunzhi.
In the fifth year of Shunzhi, Li Zicheng, the King of Rebellion, led an army of 500,000 across the Yellow River from Yumenkou and marched north.
At that time, the commander-in-chief of Datong was Wang Xiang, who opened the city gate and allowed Li Zicheng to enter the city and rest for five days.
Datong is the gate to the capital, and once it is opened, the consequences can be imagined.
Li Zicheng, the King of Rebellion, overthrew the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
At this time, the Qing army sent people to attack Datong. Wang Xiang saw that the situation was not right and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty again.
In the fifth year of Shunzhi, small sparks of anti-Qing sentiment spread across the seven provinces of Jiangnan.
Wang Xiang was also itching in his heart because of this little flame, and finally he could not bear it anymore and announced his rebellion against the Qing Dynasty at the end of the year.
Wang Xiang sent troops south and successively conquered Shuozhou, Jiaocheng and Wenshui, which scared the Qing Dynasty.
Dorgon was sent with a large army and red cannon to attack Datong.
However, the city walls were high and the moats were deep, the defensive facilities were complete, and the army and civilians were united, so Dorgon fought for nine months but still failed to capture the city.
Finally, when the city ran out of ammunition and food, Wang Xiang was stabbed by his own general Yang Zhenwei, who opened the city gate and was then captured by Dorgon.
The Qing Dynasty was very angry when they entered the city. How many good men did they die in front of this city wall?
Take them all down for me!
At one command, the city walls were demolished, and it was called "destroying the city walls!"
Since then, the city wall has been severely damaged and in ruins.
Until the Japanese occupied Datong, this city wall was just a decoration and a deaf ear.