Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 170: We Must Have Our Own Air Force
Upon seeing this, Wu Qingyun frowned and said, "This is a wasteland. Because it is located in a remote area and is close to the mountains, and it is also a saline-alkali land, it has little economic value. Apart from going there to collect firewood, few locals go there."

Commander, you sent the tank battalion there to stand by, you mean...

Su Yaoyang gave him an approving look: "That's right. This place is remote and far from Wolf Valley. Even if the Japanese attack Wolf Valley, they won't go there to check. It's perfect for hiding the tank battalion there."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood Su Yaoyang's intention.

Huang Guantao asked worriedly, "Commander, do you intend to have the tank battalion launch an attack from behind the Japanese army while they are attacking Wolf Valley?"
This method sounds good, but it requires perfect coordination between the two sides. Otherwise, if friendly forces fail to cooperate in time, the entire tank battalion will be surrounded by the Japanese army, and the tank battalion will be in grave danger.

"Of course I know there will be danger," Su Yaoyang said. "But we're doing a dangerous job, how can we not take risks?"

The tank battalion's failure would be dangerous, but if it succeeds, the gains will be enormous.

John, do you dare take this mission?

Su Yaoyang asked the last question while staring into John's eyes.

"Boss, since you've put it that way, how can I say no?" John gave a wry smile.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Sir, I have a condition that I hope you can agree to."

"You said."

"I hope you can allocate me an anti-aircraft company and an infantry battalion. Although the tank battalion itself has an infantry company, the number of troops is still too small. On such a large-scale battlefield, it would be too dangerous for the tank battalion to attack alone without the cover of infantry."

"No problem," Su Yaoyang readily agreed. "Which infantry unit do you want?"

"If possible, I would like it to be a regiment and a battalion."

"You really dare to think that way!" Su Yaoyang was amused by his audacity.

As the oldest and most established unit in the Shanxi militia, the First Battalion of the First Regiment has the most veterans, the richest combat experience, and the strongest combat capability among all the infantry battalions in the Shanxi militia. John's decision to transfer the First Battalion away will inevitably lead to a significant drop in the combat effectiveness of the First Regiment, which will certainly have a great impact on the First Regiment.

"Just tell me, are you going to give it to me or not?" John's determined attitude amused the officers standing nearby.

"Okay... I'll give it to you."

In the end, Su Yaoyang gritted his teeth and agreed to John's request. You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub; without sufficient strength, the tank battalion's attack would only be a joke.

After everything was arranged, the officers left to return to their respective units to make preparations.

Everyone had a premonition that the upcoming battle for the 20th Division would be extremely fierce, a battle that would determine the life or death of the Shanxi militia.

Half an hour later, watching the last Sherman tank disappear from his sight, billowing blue smoke, Su Yaoyang took a deep breath and muttered, "Come on... you little devils, let's see if your Bushido is more powerful, or my steel and cannons?"

Wu Qingyun and several staff officers looked at Su Yaoyang, who had been standing motionless at the intersection for a long time. They wanted to persuade Su Yaoyang to go into the command post, but after exchanging glances, none of them dared to step forward.

Everyone knows that ever since Li Gaoyuan was injured by Japanese planes and his fate is unknown, he has been harboring a lot of resentment. Who would dare to step forward and provoke him?

Finally, all the staff officers' eyes were focused on Wu Qingyun. After all, they were all staff officers, but Wu Qingyun had a "chief" in his name.

Having no other choice, Wu Qingyun steeled himself and took two steps forward, whispering, "Commander, let's go back to headquarters. It's not safe to stay here."

"Understood." To everyone's surprise, Su Yaoyang didn't get angry, but silently returned to the command post. The staff officer and several guards breathed a sigh of relief.

As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, twice shy, what they fear most now is that a few Japanese planes will suddenly appear from the sky and straf them or drop a few bombs. If anything happens to Su Yaoyang, they might as well find a rope and hang themselves as soon as possible.

But as the old saying goes, what you fear most is what will happen to you.

Not long after Su Yaoyang returned to the command post, a series of shrill alarms suddenly sounded on the position, followed by bursts of artillery fire nearby.

Su Yaoyang immediately recognized the sound as that of a Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun.

"Air defense... Beware of air defense..."

"The Japanese planes are coming again! Take cover!"

The officers' shouts and curses rang out from the position.

"Let's go...out and take a look..."

Su Yaoyang pushed open the wooden door of the command post, and a pungent smell of gunpowder immediately filled his nostrils.

He squinted and saw several gray-white cracks torn open in the sky... Three Type 1 fighter jets were diving down in a wedge formation, the sun emblem under their wings stinging his eyes.

Four Type 96 attack aircraft circled close to the clouds, dropping bombs that exploded in the field, leaving a trail of charred earth, while the shockwaves sent debris crashing against the doorframe.

Suddenly, a string of orange-red flames erupted from the distant air defense positions, and the tracer beams of the shells wove a trembling net in the low sky.

Su Yaoyang recognized that it was their Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft gun firing.

Upon seeing the anti-aircraft fire emerging from the ground, a Type 96 fighter jet suddenly pulled up its nose, and a bomb detached from its belly, falling vertically to the ground. The aluminum skin of the aircraft grazed the trajectory of the bomb, reflecting light like a shimmering silver snake.

The sound of the explosion rolled across the trench like a muffled thunder. Not far from the command post, a new recruit huddled behind a sandbag, his head in his hands, his lips trembling incessantly beneath his helmet.

"boom……"

With a deafening explosion, the entire earth trembled. Su Yaoyang in the command post felt a ringing in his ears, and it took him a while to recover.

Wu Qingyun explained: "Those were 250-kilogram Type 97 bombs dropped by the Japanese. These bombs were extremely destructive and were one of the most commonly used aerial bombs by the Japanese Army Air Force."

The Japanese also possessed a more powerful 500-kilogram bomb, but it was primarily used against important strategic targets such as bridges and factories, and was rarely seen in ordinary circumstances.

Su Yaoyang's expression was very grim, and he suddenly said, "Air Force... We must also have our own air force..."

Wu Qingyun smiled bitterly. Who wouldn't want to have their own air force? But how easy is it to get an airplane? Even if you manage to get one or two by chance, where do you get pilots?

Su Yaoyang didn't say anything, but his mind had already flown to faraway America, wondering how many people John could recruit.

If he could get fifty... no... even just twenty or thirty people, he could form a fighter squadron.

With airplanes, he wouldn't be so passive, and Japanese planes wouldn't dare to defecate on his head so recklessly.

(End of this chapter)