the world is at stake

"Aim at that Chinese truck and destroy it!" Takeda Nakazuo was excited as if solving a case, and ordered the gunners at the bow and stern of the boat to shoot at the self-propelled artillery traveling in the same direction.

Two 37mm breech-loading cannons opened fire immediately.In order to vent their anger, the gunners of the Japanese patrol boat fired a high rate of fire of more than ten rounds per minute.

It's just that the shooting accuracy of "motion-to-motion" is poor, not to mention that the Japanese army is still on board.

After fighting for a long time, a lot of artillery shells were fired, but the two patrol boats did not achieve any results. Instead, the self-propelled artillery that pursued them used the undulating terrain on the shore to approach quickly and covertly.

Some Japanese sailors simply took out their rifles and shot towards the shore in an attempt to increase the density of firepower.But just as they were moving forward on the channel, there was a "thumb bang bang" machine gun sound behind a camouflaged haystack on the shore.

It's 'Maqin'!

Three trucks equipped with heavy machine guns showed their original shape behind the haystack.The dense rain of bullets was like a sharp sickle, sweeping across the two patrol boats commanded by Nakazuo Takeda like cutting wheat.

The Japanese sailors who shot on the side of the hull were unlucky on the spot. They were hit by the [-]mm bullet and fell into the river.

This was followed by small breech-loading guns without turret protection.The gunner was unobstructed on the deck, and was fired from no dead angle by the crossfire composed of three 'Maxim'.

Nakazuo Takeda was commanding in the wheelhouse of the patrol boat, only to feel that the glass of the cabin was shattered, and a large number of stray bullets flew in.The helmsman who was steering the wheel was shot dead on the spot, and he himself was suppressed by the dense rain of bullets, so he had to lower his body to avoid it.

The pursuing artillery company commander saw that the enemy's deck was suppressed by friendly forces, and boldly ordered to approach the river bank.He shouted to the gun crew: "Stop the car, place the hoe, shoot directly, and sink the little Japanese ship for me."

The gun carriage approached the river bank, flicked to a stop, and its muzzle was facing the Japanese patrol boats driving on the river.Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, the highly motivated artillery crew jumped out of the vehicle, dug a hole and put a hoe.

Major Spey, who was accompanying the ammunition truck, felt the flames of fighting enthusiasm, waved his fists and shouted: "Fuck it, kill it, long live the God of War."

Faced with the suppression of the three 'Maxim', Takeda Nakazuo had to jump out from the other side of the cab, looking for a possibility of counterattack.But when he hid half of his head behind the cabin, he saw the gun carriage chasing him driving up the embankment, and the muzzle was aimed at him.

Direct aim, the distance is less than 500 meters, there is no need to hide!

Takeda Nakazuo suddenly let out a sigh of relief, turned his head and showed a bitter smile to the sailors who were following behind him, "Masters, see you at Kuduanzaka."

The 75mm mountain cannon was hit, and a burst of flames exploded on the patrol boat.

Chapter 29

It was getting late, dark clouds were low.

The banks of the river in Liaojiagou in Yangzhou are very lively.

Thousands of peasant households ran out of their homes and huddled on the river bank to see what was new—five devil patrol boats with plaster flags either ran aground or sank, soaking in the turbulent river water.

The bodies of some devil sailors were washed up on the river bank.

Some people saw that the military uniform shoes and hats on the corpse were made of solid materials, and rushed to peel the corpse.When the military police of the National Defense Forces arrived at the scene, most of the corpses were naked, like pork slaughtered on the chopping board.

Araki from Japan's Xuanyangsha pretended to be a Chinese trader, with his hands folded in the sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket, he huddled sideways with a few old farmers, listening to the chattering discussions around him.

Chinese military police are salvaging bodies and taking prisoners, including Takeda Nobu, who commanded this provocative blockade mission.

The lieutenant officer of the navy was thrown into the river by the air waves when he was shelled. Except for the numbness of his hands and feet from the cold, he survived without incident.

Several motor sailing boats are towing the stranded patrol boat back into the river, to be brought back to Yangzhou for display.If necessary, repair it and maybe it can continue to be used.After all, industrial products are too scarce, and wooden-hulled steamships with tens or hundreds of tons are worth a lot.

As for the sinking, we have to wait for a while, and we have to find special salvage personnel and equipment.In short, the spoils of war will not be wasted, and must be used to the fullest.

On the bank of the river, there were military reporters in uniforms of the Wehrmacht, snapping pictures at the scene.Due to the poor light, the magnesium powder flashes flickered, frightening the curious people to keep avoiding and gathering.

Battlefields, ships, captives, corpses, people, all photos will become historical records.Don't think about it, the next day's newspapers will carry the news, announcing the victory to the whole country.

The self-propelled artillery company has been evacuated, and there are only temporarily called militias and observation posts in place.Defeating the Japanese devils gave the local people great encouragement, and with financial incentives, many people were willing to act as eyes and ears for the National Defense Forces.

Araki asked the heated crowd for more than an hour, and finally understood the general situation before dark-the National Defense Force relied on accurate and convenient investigation and communication, and used trucks to carry artillery for rapid maneuvering, and successfully ambushed the Japanese patrol boat.

Knowing the inside story, Araki will return to Yangzhou City to report to Shanghai.But the telegraph room in the city was controlled by the military, and any civilian needs were prohibited.

Most people don't need to send telegrams, so it doesn't matter.

But this trick cut off the possibility of Araki's quick communication.He had no choice but to return to the Japanese store he opened in Yangzhou, only to find a team of Chinese military police rummaging through his store.

City maps, river hydrology, barracks layout, traffic roads, and even the distribution of wells in villages near Yangzhou were all recorded in detail by Araki in his diary.

These things have all been dug out.

The two Japanese ronin who were in the store were captured alive on the spot.Taking advantage of the unpreparedness of the military police, one of them struggled to escape and ran wildly along the street until he ran in front of Araki, where he was shot dead by the military police on the spot.

The blood of his companion splashed all over Araki's face, and his frightened expression shook him like chaff.He clearly heard his companion trying to yell 'run away' to him, but the voice was weak.

Two gendarmes chased after them angrily, and after confirming that the Japanese spy who had been shot was out of breath, they were still very upset.Looking at Araki in a daze, the military police asked, "Who are you? Where do you live?"

Araki was startled, and hurriedly said that he was frightened, that he was from the city and lived in a nearby street.He speaks authentic Yangzhou dialect to dispel the doubts of the military police from the imperial capital, and let him leave without too much questioning.

The gendarmes of the National Defense Forces are so vicious. They have arrested more than a dozen Japanese spies in less than three days since they came to Yangzhou.Including traitors who used money to do things for the Japanese, there are also real devils like Araki.

All Japanese goods stores in the city were sealed off, including the telegraph office.Those who have sent out reports to the outside world recently are the key targets of investigation, and will be 'greeted' by the military police in person.

Araki wiped the blood from his face, and left the city in fear.He understood that his group of people were too bold to spy on the military situation on weekdays, so that the military police had no difficulty in investigating them, and they would die if they didn't leave.

When we left Yangzhou City, it was already dark.Araki could only find an inn in the outskirts of the village and town for one night, and the next day he went to the riverside to find a boat for passengers, and crossed the river to Zhenjiang.

The people in Zhenjiang were beaming, and from time to time they saw people cheering and distributing news numbers.There is a big loudspeaker in the city broadcasting news from the Central People's Broadcasting Station.

In the Liaojiagou artillery battle, Wang Xin's headquarters of the Third Division of the National Defense Army sank and damaged five Japanese invasion patrol boats, killed more than 17 people, and captured [-] people, including its commander Nobuoshi Takeda.

The Central Government of the Republic expressed strong indignation at the behavior of the Japanese side, decided to recall the Minister in Japan, listed the Japanese Minister Hikokichi Ijuin in China as an unwelcome person, and asked him to leave the imperial capital within a week.

The government also took the opportunity to announce that it would gradually cancel the concessions of the foreign powers in China, rectify the administration of officials, and enrich the country and strengthen the army.In particular, the United Kingdom is named and asked to stop interfering in China's internal affairs, otherwise it will suffer the same blow.

Britain and Japan naturally refused to admit defeat, and even accused China of violating diplomatic treaties and attacking Japanese ships in normal navigation for no reason.

The electric loudspeaker broadcasting the news was set up at the gate of the city, and a large group of people gathered underneath.Araki was shocked when he heard the news.He approached the electric loudspeaker and saw several literati dressed as gentry crying loudly.

The one who cried was not a strong counterattack from the central government, but shouted: "China is going to end, it is going to end. You will be beaten if you ask for it. Japan and Britain are so strong, and their navy is a hundred times stronger than ours. It is we who are waiting for the people to drive into the Yangtze River and bombard them."

The Japanese must retaliate, and the British are even more bullying.How can the big powers give up when the central government is fighting like this? The Eight-Power Allied Forces will come again, and China will be humiliated again. "

The gentry and literati were beating their chests and stamping their feet, and a few young people next to them retorted, but they were scolded by them, citing that China's weapons are not good, its industry is not good, its people are not good, its army is not good, and its government is not good.

The young man couldn't argue and screamed angrily.

Araki went over and listened to it, feeling quite absurd.

Sinking a few patrol boats is harmless to Japan, but it can't hold back its face.The expulsion of the minister is equivalent to the freezing point of the relationship between the two countries, which will inevitably bring about a chain reaction.

Naturally, the Japanese side will not let it go. I am afraid that they will send warships to bombard the big coastal cities in China, or even send troops to land and attack the imperial capital. It is not impossible to repeat the old incident.

Araki also didn't know why the current government of the republic, which had always been weak, had become so staunch, and even dared to warn Britain to stop interfering.He couldn't figure out the inside story, so he could only quickly report what he saw and heard in Yangzhou to the Japanese consulate in Shanghai.

The big powers have long been accustomed to being weak and deceptive, and China, which can interfere at will, feels very uncomfortable with the National Defense Forces using Japan as a soft persimmon, but it has a certain attitude of watching a show.

The German minister stood up and expressed support for China, wishing that China would fight Britain and Japan immediately.Even the United States has stated that it hopes to safeguard the commercial interests of all parties and avoid the expansion of the war.

Britain is still providing assistance to Zhang Xun by railway, and at the same time urging Japan to continue to increase its efforts to test China's bottom line.The Japanese envoy to China refused to accept China's conditions, and in turn demanded that China provide compensation and severely punish the war criminals.

Minister Wang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was too lazy to respond to Hikichi Ijiin's clamor, and just told him to get out of here. Everyone in the 'Holy Light' team knows that there is no other way to break the shackles of the great powers on China than by military means.

At the beginning, it is necessary to deter the opponent and let him measure the cost of war.

While the diplomats are talking to each other, the 'Holy Light' technicians are providing the army with advanced weapons that can make the final decision and deter the enemy.

All eyes are on the current most advanced weapon carrier - the aircraft.

At Nanyuan Airport, Liu Fuyang, who works in machinery, and his companions used manual machine tools to process parts and modified the carburetor of the nine-cylinder gasoline air-cooled engine to allow the fuel and air entering the cylinder to be more fully mixed.

Engineers with oily faces are staring at the long-term work of Hangfa by the test bench of the bullpen factory, measuring its fuel consumption and horsepower values.

Although it is a simple improvement, the key test still needs to be done, otherwise the safety of the pilot cannot be guaranteed.Now there are only three qualified pilots in the team, more precious than gold.

After a day of preliminary testing, the power of the modified aeroengine was increased to 40.00 horsepower, and the fuel consumption was reduced by [-]%, and there is still potential for further reduction.

Liu Fuyang signed the test report, indicating that the test will continue tomorrow.

The test pilot said, "Can you hurry up? Japan has sent additional destroyers to Yangzhou, and may bombard our cities and villages along the Yangtze River."

"No, the research and development process must always go. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, the loss will not be an aircraft, but you non-renewable test pilots."

Liu Fuyang firmly opposes "emergency use" that ignores scientific laws.

"Let the first batch of seeded pilots go." Zhou Qingfeng hadn't gone to Yangzhou yet, and he decided to let ten 'rookies' with less than five hours of flying time to carry out the test flight.

"What if something goes wrong?" Liu Fuyang couldn't accept it. "Those seed pilots are aspiring young people we recruited from universities with great difficulty, but they haven't even mastered the theory of flight."

"The Wright Brothers don't have any flying theory, but they still fly. Isn't flying an airplane just like driving a car? Just be bold and careful.

This is war and there will always be sacrifices.

Zhang Xun must be dealt with before the end of the month, otherwise his behavior will spread like a plague. Who can guarantee that Feng Guozhang in Shanghai will not follow suit?At that time, not one or two people will die, but tens of thousands. "

Zhou Qingfeng added a sentence at the end, "Let those seed pilots voluntarily choose, and those who agree to join the party will join the party. After success, they will be promoted and reused, and sacrifices will be generously compensated. After all, safeguarding the interests of the country has to be desperate."

Judging from the changes in the situation on the front line, war may break out on a large scale at any time. Wang Xin's troops are blocked in Yangzhou, and the situation is very bad.Man Lu Zuo led the team to the south, and was already considering crossing the river from other places.

Liu Fuyang and Master Yang looked at each other in dismay.

The test pilot in the team gritted his teeth: "The third triplane is a two-seater trainer plane. We will take those 'rookies' to the sky to fly a few more times. Sharpen your guns before the battle, and you will be happy if you are unhappy."

Liu Fuyang asked again: "What can you do with just an airplane? Could it be that you put two 'Maxim's' to straf the warship? Or hang a few grenades to blind them? There is no effective means of harm!"

"Yes." Master Yang said, "There is a weapon that the British guys used to destroy the Ruhr Dam in Germany during World War II. The structure of that thing is very simple. On the wing plane."

Liu Fuyang didn't quite understand this aspect, so he asked, "What is it?"

"Ricochet."

Chapter 30

On February 2, sunny, easterly wind, level three.

The first batch of trainees of Nanyuan Aviation School will graduate today, including 25 pilots and [-] ground staff.These young people will go to the battlefield after working hard and studying for a month.

These young people have only been learning to fly for a month, and they are all recruited from universities in the imperial capital and Tianjin. The average age is only 20 years old.

As one of the three instructors of the aviation school, Lei Qiang issued graduation certificates to his students on the runway of the aviation school.The certificates are all written by him himself, and every time he issues one, he feels a heavy heart.

After the news spread that Wang Xin's troops had sunk and injured the Japanese patrol boat, the whole land of China was full of enthusiasm.

Guangdi has thousands of young people who want to join the army.After the official media publicized the British and Japanese military and diplomatic threats, the boosted morale surged like a tsunami.

Think of the fishermen who were abused wantonly by the warships of the great powers on the Yangtze River, think of the peasants who were overwhelmed by the cession of land and indemnities, think of the intellectuals who were humiliated to the extreme by the humiliating treaty, and you will know how powerful this small victory is. Spiritual inspiration.

With such strong public opinion, the 'Holy Light' team will either continue to achieve new victories and use the mobilized indomitable spirit of the people to consolidate the regime, or it will be backlashed by fanatical public opinion, causing national dissatisfaction and losing its ruling power.

It is now five days since the Liaojiagou artillery battle.

In the past five days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic has been arguing with the great powers.Japanese Minister Ijuin Hikokiriya did not leave in the imperial capital, and still openly clamored to send naval battleships to "severely punish violent expenditures" and negotiate with a new government.

The "Overseas Chinese Volunteer Team" organized by the British Lieutenant Colonel Wei Lepei in Nanjing has a total of more than [-] people and a complete range of guns.Among them, the [-] Japanese ronin in China are basically former Japanese soldiers and officers, and they can be called well-trained.

The appearance of these bastards in Nanjing angered everyone in the 'Holy Light'.

Zhou Qingfeng led the last regiment-level combat team of the Third Division of the National Defense Army to the south five days ago.Before he left, his face was gloomy and scary.Even Martha feared that he was full of killing intent, like an atomic bomb about to explode.

When Lei Qiang asked the students if they were willing to sacrifice for the country, the first batch of students took a collective step forward.Their courage was also rewarded, and each of them was injected with the enhanced serum from Zhou Qingfeng.

The precious enhanced serum is mainly used to cultivate technical and management backbones, and this is the first time it has been used by the army.However, considering the agility and perception required for ultra-low-altitude flight and bombing, an exception was made for ten student pilots.

During the five-day emergency learning, the trainees absorbed water like sponges, and they always acquired the knowledge from the instructors with full energy.Practice during the day and theory at night is like a month of high-intensity training.

I have to say that the difficulty of driving the early aircraft was really not that big, and the speed of more than 100 kilometers was similar to that of driving on the ground.As long as the mind is clear enough, subjects such as take-off, circling, and landing are easy to solve.

The difficulty is how to attack in the air.

At the beginning when General Master Yang got the triplane, the 'Shengguang' military workers were thinking about what kind of weapons to equip it with.Considering that the greatest danger to the Republic comes from the British and Japanese navies, anti-ship weapons are the top priority.

There is no need to think about missiles and torpedoes. This is not what the current weak industrial level can provide.Even a light 450mm direct flight torpedo weighs seven to eight hundred kilograms.

Because the power is too weak, the maximum take-off weight of the first-generation triplane with a wooden body is only half a ton with full fuel.The weight of the weapons it can carry must be less than one hundred kilograms.

Considering simplicity and effectiveness, an ammunition scheme that the British used to use in actual combat and achieved great results was placed on the designer's desk-the cylinder bomb.

Once '1943', the British used 'Lancaster' bombers to drop heavy cylindrical bombs on three dams in the Ruhr area of ​​Germany and successfully destroyed them.

A flood of 3.3 million cubic meters roared down the Ruhr River Basin, submerging 80 square kilometers of land, from the El River Basin to the city of Fulda.

The flood swept away countless bridges and houses along the way.Hundreds of factories downstream of the dam were destroyed and 3 people were affected.The death toll was close to [-].

The bomb dropped by the British weighed [-] tons, but the "Holy Light" military personnel greatly simplified it-a [-]-kilogram steel cylinder with [-] kg of picric acid explosives inside.

The advantage of picric acid is that it is cheap, and it was first invented as a chemical dye.Its disadvantage is that it is not as stable as tnt, but it is not as imaginable that it will explode at the first touch, otherwise the Japanese would not use it in World War II.

A collision delay fuze is installed in a steel cylinder. After being thrown at a height of 20 to [-] meters, it will bounce on the water surface until it hits the target or sinks to the bottom.

"Attention, the plane must fly close to the ground at a low altitude. If you fly too high, the impact of the bomb will be too great, and it will fall apart when it hits the water. If you fly too low, you will naturally crash.

In addition, the best distance for the bomb to float is only 200 meters, so it must be thrown close to the enemy ship.If the distance is too close, the insurance has not been activated; if it is too far to drop bombs, it is meaningless, at most it will scare the enemy. "

Facing the ten seeded pilots, Lei Qiang has too many things to teach.He is the only three air force test pilots in the team, and the Standing Committee of the 'Holy Light' strictly forbids him and his companions to fly into the air.

Even though he had thousands of words in his heart, Lei Qiang could only repeatedly tell his students how to fight.As long as the results can be obtained, even if all ten students are lost, it is worth it.