Chapter 142

Sergeant Ishiguro Kota was an ordinary Japanese soldier in the anti-aircraft squadron, operating the Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft machine cannon, which had only been equipped to the Sixth Division last year.

This cannon was improved from the Type 97 20mm anti-aircraft machine cannon, which had already been aborted without passing the acceptance of the Army Headquarters.

However, the anti-aircraft command instrument of the Type 97 anti-aircraft machine cannon was inherited and used on the Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft machine cannon.

This anti-aircraft command instrument collected data from four fire control observation instruments, each with two operators. The collected data was automatically transmitted to the command instrument.

The command instrument could calculate the firing angle and azimuth based on the data from the four observation instruments and synchronize them to the cannons in the four positions. The gunners could then adjust according to these data to strike the aircraft in the air.

Sergeant Ishiguro Kota was now quickly setting up according to the numbers transmitted from the command instrument.

Their squadron's twenty-four anti-aircraft guns were divided into two positions. At this time, they were all busy firing at the attacking aircraft.

The Type 98 20mm anti-aircraft machine cannon had a magazine capacity of twenty rounds, a rate of fire of three hundred rounds per minute, a maximum firing height of 3,500 meters, and an effective firing range of 5,500 meters.

When twenty-four anti-aircraft machine cannons fired simultaneously, hundreds of shells flew towards the twelve fighter planes in the air.

Even though it was early morning, hundreds of red trails could be seen streaking across the sky.

Captain Pan Yongshan, leading the fighter planes, was already accustomed to this situation: yesterday in Kobe, they had faced the same scenario.

Especially when attacking the Japanese Navy's Fourth Fleet, the density of shells in the air was much higher than today due to the double attack from the anti-aircraft artillery on the shore and the anti-aircraft artillery on the warships in the port.

Yesterday, they were able to break through and destroy the Japanese anti-aircraft positions, so Captain Pan and his men were even more confident today.

Cui Yongqiang piloted his fighter plane in the same low-altitude assault as yesterday. Although the elevation angle of the Japanese anti-aircraft guns was very high, from minus fifteen degrees to positive ninety-five degrees.

However, the fact that Cui Yongqiang was flying almost at ground level still made Sergeant Ishiguro Kota a little flustered.

What surprised him even more was that the enemy planes were also equipped with cannons, and they were also returning fire at their anti-aircraft positions. While the anti-aircraft guns were still working hard, the Sixth Field Artillery Regiment of the Japanese army was also trying to complete the order of Division Commander Inaba Shiro.

Lieutenant Colonel Fujito Ken, the regimental commander, watched the planes in the air without flinching, simply ordering his Japanese soldiers to speed up the firing. This was not because he didn't understand technology, but because he was unsure about the twelve bombers patrolling in the distant high altitude.

The firing rate of artillery has technical requirements. At the beginning, the firing rate can be faster because the barrel is cold at this time.

As one or two shells leave the barrel, the violently burning gunpowder gas can quickly heat the barrel to thousands of degrees, which is the time to test the strength of the barrel.

The performance of steel will decrease at high temperatures. If the barrel is not allowed to cool down, it will explode. Therefore, it is necessary to wait three to five minutes after firing one shell before firing another.

If six or seven shells are fired continuously, the rest time will be even longer.

Lieutenant Colonel Fujito Ken issued an order to speed up the firing rate, and the Japanese soldiers below responded well, only speeding up the speed of dragging and cleaning the barrel.

As for the interval time, these Japanese soldiers did not dare to shorten it at all. The operating rules for each type of weapon were summarized step by step with blood and lives.

It is not possible for any commander to come up with a new method or new technology by patting his head.

Sergeant Funamishi Taiichi listened to the orders issued by the messenger and curled his lips, not speeding up the speed of transporting shells.

The regimental commander was just issuing orders casually. If they, the Japanese soldiers who actually loaded the shells, did not follow the rules, they might be blown to death by the shells they loaded.

Sergeant Funamishi Taiichi, who was worried about being blown to death, slowly loaded the shells, closed the breech, and then quickly retreated more than ten meters and tied up the rope on the ground.

Waiting for the commander's order to fire the shell.

On the other side, the first round of the duel between the anti-aircraft squadron and the fighter squadron had ended. Rolling smoke rose from the artillery position, making it impossible to see whether they were damaged.

On the other hand, the situation of the fighter planes in the air was clear at a glance. The twelve fighter planes turned in mid-air and charged back again.

Listening to the sound of the anti-aircraft machine cannons firing, Lieutenant Colonel Fujito Ken began to feel uneasy: the sound of the anti-aircraft machine cannons was not as dense as the first time.

Captain Kodata Itsuki was shocked to see that four anti-aircraft machine cannons had been silenced in the first round: If the fighter planes flying in the air were just firing some machine gun bullets and killing a few Japanese soldiers in the squadron, he wouldn't care.

Anyway, these Japanese soldiers under his command, whether they were gunners, loaders, or observers on the command instrument, could all be replaced.

If one or two died, there would still be Japanese soldiers to replace them, but this time the fighter planes in the air were actually using cannons to directly destroy the anti-aircraft guns.

How could he replace them? With four fewer guns, although the difference in anti-aircraft firepower was not significant, there were huge loopholes in the entire anti-aircraft firepower network.

The second round would be difficult!

Captain Pan was mobilizing in the air: "We've already broken the enemy's courage, let's take them down in this round."

Yan Gaofei said fiercely: "Captain, just watch me!"

Who in the entire aviation brigade of the Special Operations Brigade, with hundreds of planes and nearly a thousand pilots, didn't know the name of Yan Gaofei?

During the bombing of the Japanese Navy's Fifth Fleet in Humen, his fighter plane was hit, and Yan Gaofei was rescued after jumping into the sea.

That afternoon, during the attack on Taoyuan Airport, he was hit again by a Japanese fighter plane and rescued after jumping into the sea.

Yesterday at the Wu Naval Base, Yan Gaofei's fighter plane was hit again, and he was still rescued.

He was the pilot who had been shot down the most times in the entire aviation brigade, without exception. But no pilot thought Yan Gaofei's skills were poor.

On the contrary, every pilot admired him from the bottom of their hearts: you wouldn't be able to achieve this kind of achievement if you didn't charge at the front every time, if you weren't the most daring person.

Captain Pan quickly said: "Yan Gaofei, take it easy!"

"Yes!"

Yan Gaofei, who had agreed, still pushed down the nose of the plane and charged towards the Japanese anti-aircraft position.

Sergeant Ishiguro Kota was now very scared. After the position was bombed by shells, smoke and dust flew together, shrouding the position.

This seriously affected their observation of the planes charging in the air, and then there were the constant wails of injured Japanese soldiers coming from around them.

This sound reminded every Japanese soldier: you will all end up like this!

Captain Kodata Itsuki did not have more manpower to rescue these Japanese soldiers, but he had already requested support from the rear, and he believed that the rescue personnel would arrive soon.

Now was still the most critical time of the battle, and he did not dare to draw out the Japanese soldiers operating the anti-aircraft machine cannons to carry the wounded away. The position was filled with smoke, and they could only see the planes coming through the gaps, estimating the distance of the planes by listening to the roar of the engines.

They had not shot down a single plane with such a good line of sight just now, and now it was only possible to hit a plane by luck in this situation.

In any case, the remaining anti-aircraft machine cannons of the anti-aircraft squadron were all firing, firing fiercely, and trying to fire shells into the air.

The Japanese soldiers could not see the planes in the air clearly, and the planes in the air could not see the Japanese gun positions clearly either.

When the Japanese anti-aircraft machine cannons fired, the muzzle flashes were very obvious in the smoke, like a lighthouse on the coast.

Yan Gaofei adjusted the cannons and pressed the firing button: "Boom! Boom!" The sound of explosions rang out continuously.

Firing at a distance of less than five hundred meters was still very accurate. The machine guns on the fighter plane kept sweeping, and the shells were fired continuously as if they didn't cost money. Today was not like yesterday, when Jurong Airport was only twenty kilometers behind them, so there was no need to save shells. Yan Gaofei fired ten shells in one breath, and the plane swept over the Japanese position.

His comrades on his left and right were doing the same thing. After the second round of attack and defense, the Japanese anti-aircraft firepower stopped all of a sudden.

Mao Wenxing ordered: "The bombers will bomb the Japanese anti-aircraft positions first! Then bomb the artillery positions!"

The twelve bombers then began to dive, and Captain Kodata Itsuki was roaring at this time: "Fire! Fire into the air!"

His anti-aircraft squadron had been completely defeated in the previous confrontation. He did not know how many of the twenty-four anti-aircraft machine cannons could still be used.

He only knew that there were many injured on each gun position, and that was why all the machine cannons had stopped firing.

The fighter planes in the air would not stop attacking just because the anti-aircraft fire had stopped. On the contrary, their attacks would be even more fierce.

Captain Kodata Itsuki, who understood this, was jumping with anxiety, but his anxiety was useless. Sergeant Ishiguro Kota had already rushed out of the gun position and was running away into the distance.

He had seen clearly when the sky was clear just now: the Special Operations Brigade had sent not only fighter planes, but also bombers.

They, these anti-aircraft machine cannons, had stopped firing at the air, and they could think of what would happen next with their toes: bombing!