inspire-indiana Chapter 397 Rapidly Constructed Field Airport
Chapter 397 Rapidly Constructed Field Airport
On September 21, a large group of C-47 aircraft arrived over Singapore. The Japanese hiding in the fortress sounded the air defense alarm. They thought that the aircraft were bombers and were ready to be bombed. However, they did not expect that what fell from the sky were not bombs, but countless cargo boxes with parachutes hanging on them.
These devils could only watch helplessly as the airdropped supplies landed on the other side of the Johor Strait.
On a commanding height within the fortress, Kenji Doihara dejectedly lowered his telescope and muttered, "Too fast, too fast..."
He originally thought that it would take at least 10 days for the Anmin Army to reach Lion City, but he didn't expect that only 5 days later, the vanguard of the Anmin Army had already arrived.
Another Japanese major general continued to observe with a telescope, and vaguely saw several heavy tanks with bulldozers driving back and forth. The entire open space was filled with dust, and countless soldiers were dismantling some unique steel components from the airdrop containers that had fallen to the ground.
"What are they doing?"
"I don't know, but it definitely isn't a good thing." Kenji Doihara shook his head, his heart full of regret.
As a fortification left by the Johns, the Lion City Fortress, although known as the 'Gibraltar of the East', was clearly more focused on sea than land. Heavy firepower such as the 15-inch (380mm) cannons were all fixed in the artillery positions facing the Strait of Malacca in the south, and had no firing range to the north at all.
而第 7 方面军的军属火力，独立野战重炮兵第 13 联队的主力又因为安民军出乎意料的两栖登陆失陷在了前线，此时土肥原贤二手里只有2门八九式150mm野战加农炮，和6门九一式105mm野炮。
Such scarce artillery firepower made Kenji Doihara extremely cautious in its use, and he could only watch the actions of the Ananaka Army across the Johor Strait.
In fact, the vanguard of the People's Army on the other side of the river was leveling the land, and the C-47 transport planes dropped steel perforated plates (pictured) for the rapid construction of field airports, as well as prefabricated bridge parts for the construction of large floating bridges.
That's right, in addition to the tank regiment and motorized infantry regiment, which arrived quickly after the 11th Mechanized Brigade's reconnaissance battalion, there was also a special 702nd Mechanized Field Engineer Battalion, which was responsible for quickly building fortifications and facilities with engineering machinery.
As a unit directly under the command of Qi Quan, the commander of the Southward Front, the order they received was to quickly build a field airport in the Johor Bahru area to facilitate the takeoff and landing of P-47 and other fighter planes as well as transport planes.
At the same time, we are ready to repair the pontoon bridge across the Johor Strait under the cover of firepower.
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In the early morning of September 22, after working all night, with the last steel plate nailed in, the field airport was completed!
Not long after, the rumbling sound of engines came from the north, and a number of C-47 transport planes painted in green camouflage slowly landed on the newly paved perforated steel runway, splashing large amounts of dust.
What these planes brought were not ordinary supplies, but powerful weapons for the Anmin Army's air-to-ground integrated combat system: CCKW Dodge ten-wheeled trucks equipped with the "Wangyi" 50-kilowatt low-altitude search radar, matching electronic fire directors, and brand-new 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns.
Although the 40mm VT proximity fuze has not yet been successfully developed, with radar guidance, the anti-aircraft gun has acquired preliminary early warning and semi-automatic command firing capabilities.
After the radar captures the target, it transmits real-time data to the electronic fire director, which then calculates the optimal interception parameters and directly controls the height and direction of the anti-aircraft gun through the electric motor and drive mechanism, allowing gunners to quickly aim at flying enemy aircraft. This system can be said to have reached the level of medium and low altitude air defense in the early Cold War.
As for high-altitude interception?
That depends on missile technology.
After all, when it comes to missiles, neither the scientific researchers of the Anmin Army nor the Italian scientists who were hired at a high price are completely clueless.
Even though Zhang Chi had already given a general idea, and there was assistance from the synthetic scientists exchanged from the system, such a new topic still made everyone feel nervous. After all, missiles were a large collection involving countless current top fields, and it really needed a talent like Mr. Qian to serve as the overall engineer and take the lead.
Zhang Chi felt that the only way was to wait until after the war to see if he could invite Mr. Qian, or get a few scientists from Hans. If he couldn't get von Braun, he could get a few assistants who participated in the development of V-1 and V-2.
However, at the moment, Zhang Chi's main energy is still focused on quickly capturing Singapore and then moving south to seize territory.
At the same time, less than a few dozen kilometers away from the Anmin Army's field airport, Kenji Doihara finally woke up from his dream - the enemy had built an airport right under his nose!
"Gentlemen! This battle must be won!"
At the dilapidated old airport in Singapore, which has suffered multiple bombings by the People's Army, a simple yet solemn "farewell ceremony" for the Army's 55th Flying Squadron is being held.
In the dilapidated hangar, a few dim gas lamps were lit. In the dim light, a thin army major straightened his back, raised the coarse porcelain wine glass in his hand, and shouted loudly:
"Gentlemen! This battle must be won!"
The pilots stood at attention in two rows, with white cloth strips (hachimaki) tied to their heads with the words "victory" written on them and a red pill drawn on them.
Although there were less than twenty of them, their expressions were extremely solemn.
No one spoke.
The major raised his hand and waved, and everyone drank it all.
The cup contained not strong liquor, but thin and sour sake. With the cessation of sea transportation, these overseas devils had long been short of military supplies.
"Gentlemen, after taking off today, there will be no chance to land again. The fuel reserves are already running low. You only have one chance to act!"
The major's voice was hoarse. "Your target is the enemy's field airfield. Even if it takes every last drop of fuel, you must crash into it! Let the Anmin Army's planes, ammunition, and fuel all turn into a sea of fire!"
The pilots shouted in unison, "Hi!"
Outside, ground crews were urgently loading bombs onto the old Type 1 fighters and Type 99 dive bombers.
The roar of propellers pierced the night sky, and one plane after another, trailing black smoke, plunged into the vast night. They wanted to take advantage of the moment when the sun rose in the early morning to raid the Anmin Army's airport and carry out the kamikaze mission.
(The Kamikaze Special Attack Force was a unit developed by the Japanese Navy and was first used in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but sporadic suicide attack tactics have always existed in both the Japanese Navy and the Army.)