Chapter 776
Iron Wings Soar Through the Sky, Blood Debts Pay in Blood!
In the blink of an eye.
Another half month has passed.
All preparations for the airstrike have been completed.
Luxi, Pengcheng Field Airfield.
At three in the morning, the world was pitch black.
Only the emergency lights on both sides of the airport runway, like two winding fire snakes, stretched all the way to the end of the night.
In order to catch the Japanese off guard, the bomber squadron had no choice but to risk taking off again under the cover of darkness.
The autumn wind blew, stirring up the sand and gravel on the ground, which hit the aluminum alloy skins of the thirty B-24 heavy bombers on the tarmac, making a dense "rustling" sound.
These enormous creatures lay dormant in the night, their massive, drooping tails towering high, looking utterly ferocious.
The air was filled with the distinctive pungent smell of high-grade aviation fuel.
Under the wing of the lead plane, numbered "01".
Air Force Major General Xu Huansheng is carefully inspecting the safety pins on the rack with a flashlight.
He once flew a Martin bomber on an expedition to Japan, dropping millions of leaflets over Kyushu.
That was the "benevolent and righteous army" of the Chinese Air Force, attempting to awaken barbarity with civilization.
Four months ago, he went to Tokyo again to launch a paper ball offensive to undermine the will of the Tokyo military and civilians to resist.
Nowadays, we don't need to be merciful to the Japanese devils; we only need to destroy them.
"Team Leader Xu."
Liu Rongguang, the co-pilot, walked over carrying a bucket of paint: "It's finished painting, just as Commander Chu ordered."
Xu Huansheng turned around, focusing the beam of his flashlight on the largest M69 napalm bomb in the center of the fuselage bomb bay.
On the dark green projectile, four large characters were written in bright red paint in an extremely scribbled, unrestrained, and even somewhat ferocious manner.
Blood for blood
Beneath these four startling characters, rows of small black characters were densely written.
Those were the names and hatred written by ground crew, mechanics, and even veterans from the cookhouse, each one biting their fingers or dipping them in ink.
"To my parents who perished in Nanjing."
"To avenge the Jinan Massacre."
"This is breakfast for Hideki Tojo."
"For the Chinese nation!"
This bomb is more than just 700 pounds of incendiary agent.
It is the pent-up anger of 400 million compatriots that has been suppressed for half a century.
It was the first powerful blow this nation delivered after rising from the ashes.
Xu Huansheng stretched out his gloved hand and gently stroked the characters, as if he could feel the burning heat contained in each stroke.
"Commander Chu is right."
Xu Huansheng's voice was low and hoarse, sounding particularly clear in the cold wind, "To reason with them, the Japanese won't understand."
"They throw out leaflets and use them as toilet paper."
"Only by throwing this thing over their heads, burning down their houses, and blowing up their palaces will they know what pain and fear are!"
He turned around abruptly, facing the entire crew who had already lined up in the cold wind.
These 300-plus young men were considered the elite of the entire National Revolutionary Army Air Force.
They wore heavy flight jackets, oxygen masks around their necks, and their eyes gleamed with a fearless determination.
"Brothers!"
Xu Huansheng didn't use a megaphone, but every word he shouted pierced everyone's ears like nails:
"Look at the land beneath your feet! Look at Xuzhou, a city that has only recently been liberated!"
“Every brick and tile here is soaked in the blood of our brothers!”
"We only have one task today!"
Xu Huansheng raised his hand and pointed eastward, towards the end of the dark sea: "Fly over there, cross the sea!"
"Throw these 75 tons of incendiary bombs, laden with hatred, into Tokyo!"
"Throw them into the Japanese stronghold!"
"Tell those Japanese devils who are still dreaming of the 'Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere' that Chinese planes are coming!"
"They've gotten their just desserts!"
"Even if only one plane can fly to Tokyo, even if we crash and burn to pieces there, we will still let this fire burn in the heart of Japan!"
"Do you have confidence?!"
"have!!!"
The roar of three hundred warriors drowned out the howling of the cold wind.
"Boarding!"
At the command, the pilots turned and rushed to their respective battle stations.
There was no turning back, no farewell, only a resolute silhouette.
The reporters stood silently, recording the scene unfolding before them, as flashes of camera light captured this solemn and weighty moment.
"Om - hum -"
Soon, the dull groans of engines starting up rose and fell, eventually coalescing into a deafening roar.
The airflow created by the thirty B-24 bombers caused the surrounding weeds to cling tightly to the ground.
Inside the control tower.
Chu Yunfei picked up the microphone himself.
He stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing intently at the steel dragons that spewed blue flames from their tails.
"I am Chu Yunfei, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the North China Joint Command."
"Commander Chu, the combat troops are ready and request takeoff."
"Clearance for takeoff!"
"Attention, the entire nation of China is watching you. We wish you good luck and a swift victory!"
"Received, 01!"
Xu Huansheng's voice came through the radio: "The mission will be accomplished!"
At the end of the runway, the first B-24 heavy bomber released its brakes.
The aircraft's weight had reached its limit in order to carry enough fuel and ammunition.
The massive fuselage glided laboriously down the runway, its speed increasing, its wings trembling slightly in the airflow, like a giant bird carrying a heavy burden.
Just as the runway was about to end, Xu Huansheng suddenly pulled up the control lever.
"rise--!"
The front wheels lift off the ground, followed by the main wheels.
The massive bomber, with overwhelming force, pierced the darkness of dawn and soared into the sky.
Then came the second and the third.
This marks the first time since the First Sino-Japanese War that the Chinese military has launched an offensive operation across the ocean.
……
Twenty-two thousand feet above the Yellow Sea.
The sun leaped out from below the sea, and golden sunlight instantly covered the sea of clouds, dyeing the clouds a magnificent golden-red.
beautiful view.
But the atmosphere inside the cabin was so tense it was suffocating.
The aircraft group remained almost entirely silent on the radio.
The crew members could only hear the monotonous roar of the engines.
The air was bitterly cold at high altitudes, and despite wearing thick flight suits, the machine gunners' fingers were still somewhat stiff from the cold.
Heavy breathing could be heard coming from inside the oxygen mask.
With each breath, a thin layer of white frost formed on the mask.
Xu Huansheng stared at the fuel gauge on the dashboard.
"We have already spotted a landmark; it is about 300 kilometers from the Japanese coastline."
The navigator's voice came through the intercom system: "The wind is blowing from the south and is quite strong. We will arrive ten minutes later than expected."
"receive."
Xu Huansheng steadily controlled the joystick, "Make sure to stay in formation and don't fall behind."
Just then, dozens of black dots suddenly appeared from the clouds on the right.
Those are the escorting fighter jets!
These silver warplanes gleamed in the sunlight, like loyal knights, soaring and swooping around the bomber formation.
"Commander, this is the escort squadron, codename 'Falcon'."
The familiar voice of the escort captain came through the headset: "We are about to leave the Japanese air force's patrol airspace over the sea. We will turn back here."
Xu Huansheng's heart sank slightly.
Although the P-51 had an excellent range, it was unable to accompany them to Tokyo and back.
The rest of the journey will have to be traversed by these thirty cumbersome bombers on their own.
This is a lonely path of revenge.
"Thank you for your hard work, Falcon."
Xu Huansheng took a deep breath. "Go back and give our regards to the General Headquarters. We'll walk the rest of the way on our own."
"Good luck, and I hope you can land the bombs accurately!"
It was accompanied by a waving of the wings.
One hundred and twenty P-51s drew graceful arcs in the sky before turning back west.
Above the sea of clouds, only thirty lone B-24s remained, continuing their resolute flight towards the rising sun.
……
Japan, Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward.
It was an ordinary autumn afternoon.
Although news of setbacks at the front was circulating, and supplies were becoming increasingly scarce.
But for ordinary citizens of Tokyo, war seemed a long way off.
after all.
Even the most pessimistic person would not believe that enemy planes would fly across the vast ocean and drop bombs at His Majesty the Heavenly Locust's feet.
In the square outside the locust burial site, a group of female students who had been organized for military training were practicing bayonet fighting against a scarecrow with simple bamboo spears.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The naive shouts of battle echoed across the empty square.
Not far away, cabinet ministers were still arguing about how to transfer grain from Manchuria.
In the underground bars of Ginza, the powerful and influential with a bit of influence are drinking smuggled whiskey, living a life of decadence.
Meanwhile, in the underground command center of the Army General Staff, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo was looking at a map with a troubled expression.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, an urgent telegram from Kyushu!"
A communications officer rushed in, breaking the silence in the room: "The Yawata Steelworks in Kitakyushu has been subjected to a large-scale air raid, and the Sasebo naval port has also been bombed!"
"What?!"
Hideki Tojo suddenly stood up, and for a moment he thought he had misheard: "Where did this plane come from? When did the American aircraft carrier break through our defenses?"
"Intelligence indicates that these are land-based bombers flying from the direction of mainland China!"
"impossible!"
"How could a Chinese plane possibly fly that far?!"
Before Hideki Tojo's roar had even subsided, a piercing air raid siren suddenly blared over Tokyo.
This is a true air raid siren.
"Waaah—waaah—"
The piercing alarm blared throughout Tokyo in an instant, shattering the afternoon tranquility.
Pedestrians on the street looked around in panic, traffic came to a standstill, and female students participating in the air raid drill dropped their bamboo guns and ran away with their heads in their hands.
"What's going on?! Where did that alarm come from?!"
Hideki Tojo grabbed the phone and roared into the receiver, "Report!"
"Large number of unidentified aircraft detected at Tokyo Bay detection station!"
"But they've already...already flown over Tokyo!"
"what?!"
Hideki Tojo felt a sudden dizziness, and the phone in his hand fell to the table with a "thud".
During World War II, electronic radar was essentially an early warning radar, and it couldn't even determine the direction, with extremely limited warning range.
Its purpose is simply to inform staff that enemy troops are approaching, nothing more.
……
Six thousand meters above Tokyo.
The clouds dispersed.
The vast city of Tokyo was like a giant chessboard, exposed to Xu Huansheng and his companions without any obstruction.
The densely packed wooden houses are piled up like matchboxes, and the winding Sumida River shimmers with silver light.
Unfortunately, due to the excessive height, they were unable to clearly identify their target.
"arrive."
Xu Huansheng's voice trembled slightly.
Of course, it wasn't out of fear, but rather out of extreme excitement.
He watched as the B-24 bombers maintained their formation steadily, flying arrogantly overhead as if participating in a military parade.
The sound of anti-aircraft shells rang out continuously.
Just as they had planned, although the Japanese did not expect the Chinese air force to dare to carry out such a crazy long-range attack, they had already begun to guard against the Americans who were unwilling to negotiate.
"Attention all crews!"
Xu Huansheng turned on the all-channel broadcast, his voice chillingly calm: "Open the bomb bay doors!"
"Throw down all the incendiary bombs!"
"Let these beasts who only know how to slaughter taste what it's like to be burned alive!"
"bomb!!!"
At his command, the belly doors of thirty B-24s opened simultaneously.
"Click—click—"
The sound of the hook being released was like the snap of Death's fingers.
Hundreds of M69 napalm bombs, like a swarm of black grim reapers, detached from the mothership and hurtled towards the city below with a piercing whistle.
Among the first batch of bombs to fall, the specially made incendiary bomb painted with the bright red words "Blood Debt Must Be Repaid in Blood" stood out.
It spun and roared, carrying the hatred of 400 million Chinese people, and crashed straight into the building of the Japanese Ministry of the Army.
……
Tokyo, Shitamachi Ward.
This is the most densely populated area in Tokyo, and a hub for countless family workshops.
Countless M69 incendiary bombs automatically dispersed at a height of tens of meters above the ground, turning into thousands of incendiary rods that fell like flowers scattered by a celestial maiden.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The burning rod pierced through the thin wooden roof, crashed into the tatami mats, and into the factory workshop.
Immediately afterwards—
"call--!!!"
Orange-red flames shot into the air instantly!
This is napalm bomb specially developed by the US military for Japanese wooden buildings. Once the gel-like gasoline inside is ignited, it will splash everywhere like flowing lava, burning whatever it sticks to. It cannot be extinguished by water or patting!
In just a few minutes, the entire downtown area was transformed into hell.
The fire spread wildly along the narrow street, fueled by the wind, creating a terrifying "fire whirlwind".
The flames engulfed the houses, the streets, and the crowds who hadn't yet managed to escape into the air-raid shelters.
"Help!"
"It's hot! So hot!"
The screams of agony rose and fell amidst the flames, but were quickly drowned out by the roar of the fire.
The air was instantly sucked away by the high temperature. Countless people suffocated and collapsed due to lack of oxygen before they were even burned. They were then swept into the sea of fire and turned to ashes.
And in Marunouchi Government Office Street.
The heavy incendiary bomb, meant to "pay for blood debts," accurately struck the annex of the Army Ministry building.
The violent explosion blew an entire building into the air, and the spray of napalm rained down like fire across the army ministry's courtyard.
Those usually impeccably dressed staff officers now rushed out of the building in a disheveled state, their faces covered in soot and filled with terror, like monkeys with their tails on fire.
A bird's-eye view.
It was as if dozens of giant red lotuses had bloomed in Tokyo, with thick smoke billowing into the sky, obscuring the sun and shrouding the entire city in an apocalyptic gloom and blood red.
Tenju, the underground bunker of the Imperial Library.
The tremors of the earth caused even this sturdy underground fortress to shake slightly.
Emperor Hirohito sat on the sofa, his face pale, his hands gripping his knees tightly, his knuckles white.
The explosions outside were muffled and frequent.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
The head servant, his face grim, stepped forward and exclaimed, "Fire! Fire everywhere!"
"According to reports, the downtown area has been burned to the ground!"
"The fire is spreading towards Kanda and Nihonbashi!"
"Fortunately, the enemy force is not large, and the fire can be brought under control for the time being."
Hirohito slowly raised his head; he had heard it.
Even through thick concrete walls.
He could still hear the crackling of the burning fire and the wails of countless wronged souls.
Hirohito himself was well aware of this.
Japan's fraternal nation's national strength is no longer sufficient to support their expansionist ambitions.
Even the adversaries they looked down on ten years ago now have the capability to launch large-scale air strikes.
air.
After dropping their bombs, the B-24s felt a sudden lightness in their fuselages, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Xu Huansheng pulled up the nose of the plane and took one last look at the sea of fire burning below.
Thick smoke had risen thousands of meters into the air, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell of burning.
"That's the price."
"But that's not enough, far from enough."
"Attention all crews!"
Xu Huansheng withdrew his gaze, his voice regaining its composure: "Mission accomplished!"
"Full speed away, let's go home!"
"Unit 03 reporting!"
"I'm in trouble!"
Suddenly, the wingman's urgent voice came through the headset: "The right outer engine has been hit by fragments from an anti-aircraft gun, and it's leaking oil! The oil pressure is dropping!"
"Can you maintain the altitude?"
"I can manage, but I might not be able to keep up with the formation!"
Xu Huansheng's heart tightened, but he knew he couldn't hesitate at this moment: "Number 03, discard all unnecessary burdens!"
"Shut down the faulty engine!"
"All other aircraft, maintain close formation and provide mutual cover!"
"As long as we can still fly, we will never abandon any of our brothers!"
"alarm!"
"Six o'clock! A large number of enemy planes are approaching!"
"It's a Zero! The Japanese planes are coming up!"
One of the gunners shouted, "Damn it!"
Where did those flies hide just now?
"They're only showing up now!"
Although the Japanese air defense response was somewhat slow, it was, after all, a war fought on their home soil.
Dozens of Japanese fighter planes, which had been urgently scrambled from Yokosuka and Atsugi bases, rushed toward the massive B-24 formation with bloodshot eyes, like a swarm of wasps whose nest had been disturbed.
"Da da da da—"
A string of tracer bullets streaked across the sky.
"Fire!"
"Kill them!"
The B-24's defensive machine guns fired simultaneously, creating a dense hail of bullets that wove a web of death.
A fierce aerial battle suddenly erupted at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
……
Three more days passed in the mountain city.
The rain has stopped last night, and the air is exceptionally fresh.
But the tranquility of the early morning was soon shattered.
"Extra number! Extra number!"
"Our air force has annihilated Tokyo! The enemy capital is engulfed in flames!"
"General Xu Huansheng has created another miracle, using eighty tons of bombs to avenge his defeat!"
Newspaper boys waved copies of the still-wet Central Daily News as they ran through the streets, their voices, though childish, brimming with barely suppressed elation.
Fires of Revenge! Air Force Launches Thousand-Mile Raid, Tokyo Turned to Scorched Earth!
The striking headline in bold black font was like a thunderclap, instantly igniting the wartime capital.
"What? Tokyo was bombed?"
"Really? Our planes can fly that far?"
"It's absolutely true! They've even published photos! Look, that's the Japanese Imperial Palace!"
Crowds surged toward the newsstand like a tidal wave, and the newspapers were snapped up instantly.
Teahouses and streets were filled with excited crowds.
Some people were laughing, some were crying, and some were kneeling and kowtowing towards the northern sky.
"Heaven has eyes!"
The sound of firecrackers rose and fell, making it a hundred times more lively than the Spring Festival.
Frontline, North China Joint Command.
Chu Yunfei stood by the window, looking north, his back as straight as a mountain.
Fang Ligong walked in, his steps heavy, a telegram clutched in his hand. He said in a low voice, "Sir, General Xu Huansheng has sent a telegram: of the 30 B-24s that participated in the bombing of Tokyo, 22 returned to base, 5 made emergency landings, and 3 were lost."
"In addition, Liu Zhenting's squadron encountered Japanese interception during its attack on northern Kyushu, losing eight B-24 heavy bombers."
"In summary, 203 crew members were killed in this operation."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Chu Yunfei slowly removed his military cap and silently saluted.
"Brother Ligong."
"Your Excellency..."
"Order people to inscribe their names on the stone tablet in the Changzhi Martyrs' Shrine, and have Jingzhong oversee the work of providing relief and compensation, and have all media outlets report on their heroic deeds."
"They are the ones who lit the torch of dawn for this country."
"I hope their names will be remembered forever by future generations." (End of Chapter)