Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 110 Air Defense
Just as the Nanjing Security Regiment ceased its attack and both sides were busy constructing fortifications, Japanese reinforcements arrived.

This is a support formation consisting of six Type 97 heavy bombers and four Nakajima (also known as Type 97 fighters) aircraft.

As soon as the aircraft group arrived over Taierzhuang, six Type 97 heavy bombers formed a wedge formation and began to dive down to the ground, their bomb bay doors under the fuselage resembling the bared fangs of a ferocious beast.

Four Nakajima fighter planes hovered on both sides like venomous bees, the sunlight reflecting off their aluminum wings with a blinding white light.

The explosion tore through the air. The first bomb landed next to a newly repaired firing point, instantly turning it into dust. The machine gun parts that were blown up stuck into a nearby earthen wall like twisted ropes.

Two soldiers who were carrying ammunition were instantly thrown over by the blast wave. The entire box of grenades exploded one after another in the flames, engulfing his figure in crimson smoke.

"Air raid... air raid... take cover from the planes..."

The battlefield was filled with the shouts of officers, and soldiers scurried into bunkers and shelters like frightened mice. The battlefield was littered with the remains of blasted corpses and weapon parts.

"Damn those little devils! So what if they have airplanes!"

On the position of the First Battalion, Li Gaoyuan was so angry at the bombers that they were indiscriminately bombing everywhere that he cursed them.

"Having an airplane is truly remarkable."

From the observation post of the regimental command, Su Yaoyang looked at the Japanese fighter planes flying in the sky and sighed softly.

He then focused his mind on the necklace, but it was still a little short. He estimated that after redeeming another batch of supplies, his mental strength would increase again, at which point he could redeem the heavy artillery and unlock the option of fighter jets.

Having airplanes alone is not enough; the biggest problem is the pilots.

Just as he was lost in thought, a messenger reported: "Regimental Commander... Commander Li has ordered us to temporarily avoid the enemy's advance and cease our attack to prevent greater casualties, especially our artillery, which must be well protected."

“Tell Commander Li that I… um… the artillery battalion… is not good…” Su Yaoyang nodded, then his expression changed, and he immediately pounced on the table and grabbed the phone.

"Hello... Is this the artillery battalion? This is Su Yaoyang. I order you to take cover immediately."

Air defense battalion... deploy immediately, prepare for air defense... What... just moved positions? That won't do either..."

"boom……"

Just as Su Yaoyang was speaking, a loud explosion faintly reached his ears.

"Damn it, the Japanese have spotted them!"

He threw down the microphone and rushed out of the Guandi Temple. He ran to a hillside, raised his binoculars, and looked towards the south bank of the canal. He saw several Japanese planes flying up and down, taking turns diving and bombing the artillery positions on the south bank.

At this moment, six black streaks suddenly tore open in the sky above the south bank of the canal. It was the unique appearance of the Type 97 heavy bomber engine when the incompletely burned aviation kerosene was discharged as exhaust gas when it was running at maximum power.

The ground of the artillery position trembled violently from the shockwave, and countless shrapnel flew through the air.

Smoke and dust filled the air-defense positions. When the Japanese planes were seen approaching, the air-defense battalion commander, Wei Danian, immediately gave the order to fire. However, compared to the Japanese planes, his order came a little too late. On the spot, an M2A1 howitzer was blown to pieces, and the gunners around the gun were blown into a cloud of blood mist along with the gun.

"Fire! Fire! What are you waiting for? Return fire!"

Wei Danian's roar tore through the heavy air, and all sixteen Fu Bosi 40mm anti-aircraft guns of the air defense battalion simultaneously spat out scorching tongues of fire. The sound of the cannons was like thunder, shaking the ground slightly, and the flashes from the muzzles drew dazzling trajectories in the sky. High-explosive shells exploded in mid-air, the bursts of fire illuminating the gloomy clouds, and fragments rained down.

The dense hail of bullets filled the sky with smoke, and the pungent smell of gunpowder drifted on the wind, making people's throats burn.

The sudden barrage of bullets tore through the clouds, and the pilot of the Type 97 heavy bomber tensed his hands on the control stick.

The widened pupils reflected the sudden bursts of fire from the ground artillery positions; those black dots that should have been like ants, helpless to be slaughtered, now burst forth with a dazzling orange-red light.

"Oh no, the Chinese have anti-aircraft guns!"

The exclamation had barely left his lips when the cabin was filled with the shrill sound of metal being torn apart, and the co-pilot's cry of alarm was stuck in his throat, turning into a half-whimper.

He immediately felt the wings trembling, like a dragonfly being gripped by an invisible giant hand.

He frantically pulled the control stick back, only to see the bomber to his left suddenly explode. It wasn't a burst from being hit, but rather the entire aircraft disintegrating in mid-air, its aluminum skin scattering like shredded paper, and the fuel in its tanks spilling out like a burning waterfall.

The heatwave, carrying debris, pounded against the porthole, and a pungent, acrid smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils. He couldn't tell if the stench came from outside or from a short-circuited wire in his own cockpit.

In just a few seconds, three lights on the dashboard suddenly went out, and the altimeter needle spun wildly counterclockwise, as if mocking their earlier arrogance...

On the ground, in the anti-aircraft battalion's positions, the gunners were firing wildly into the sky.

"Load the ammunition!" The gunner's roar, mixed with the clanging of metal on the breechblock, went unnoticed even as scalding hot shell casings grazed his ears.

As another string of shells tore through the air, a violent explosion rang out in the sky. A Type 97 aircraft suddenly burst out of its belly with an orange-red fireball, then disintegrated in mid-air, turning into a large fireball that fell toward the ground.

He wiped the sweat from his eyelashes, only to taste a salty, bitter flavor.

In the swirling steam from the overheated gun barrel, he saw a hit enemy plane plummet into the canal, trailing black smoke.

The loss of two heavy bombers shocked and enraged the Japanese. Soon, four Nakajima fighters that had been escorting the bombers from high altitude swooped down from the clouds, and a hail of bullets swept across the ground of the anti-aircraft battalion like a plow.

"what……"

A loader was hunched over, carrying ammunition boxes. Sweat streamed down his forehead, carving clear lines down his dust-covered face.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound tore through the air, and he looked up sharply, his pupils reflecting the swooping Nakajima fighter jet.

"Dong dong dong...!"

The dull thud of a 7.7mm bullet piercing through a military uniform was particularly jarring.

The right leg, which had been shot, was in excruciating pain, as if it had been branded with a hot iron. He staggered forward and fell to the ground.

The moment the ammunition box slipped from his grasp, he reached out in vain as if trying to grab something, only to touch the cold earth. The heavy ammunition box crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of choking dust.

"Load...load it now..." Through his hazy vision, he seemed to hear the gunner's roar...

(End of this chapter)