afterglow

Chapter 590: Fighting for Life; Operation Blood Turbidity

"I accept the challenge, you take Zhou Qian and escape first." The wingman pilot said on the radio.

I saw the Type 38-5 next to me begin to climb, in order to accumulate as much altitude advantage as possible before engaging the enemy.

Zhou Changfeng leaned over to the front seat and asked loudly, "What is the wingman going to do?"

"He wants to cover us!" Lieutenant Liu Changjing, the pilot in the front seat, also responded loudly.

"It's useless! (The enemy) can only divide into three planes to deal with him at most. Let him come back!" Zhou Changfeng looked up at the wingman that was climbing above.

Liu Changjing was right in thinking that the enemy was not stupid. At most they would send out a few planes to fight, while the rest would continue to chase and kill. Moreover, in that case, they would immediately know which plane held the target.

The pilot then called out to his wingman to stop climbing, which he did.

Now a decision must be made immediately, how to avoid being intercepted by multiple enemy planes at a higher position at the ten o'clock direction.

Our own altitude was 4000m, flying towards Oahu Island. The enemy aircraft's altitude was roughly 5000~5500m, approaching at high speed from the ten o'clock direction.

Deviating drastically from the original route will lead to a significant increase in fuel consumption. Even if you escape, you may run out of fuel and fall into the sea!
But now there is obviously no need to think so much, just avoid the pursuit first.

He pulled the throttle back a little, then turned the knob to activate the emergency booster. After a few seconds, he pushed the throttle all the way back to the bottom.

This is an in-cylinder water injection boost system that is still in the experimental stage and is still very immature. By injecting a mixture of 25% ethanol and 75% water into the engine cylinder, the output power can be increased by about 7% below the critical height of the supercharger.

The technical team has not yet summarized the most appropriate mixture ratio and engine intake pressure adjustment range, and the potential of this system is far from being fully tapped.

Dozens of devices were sent to the front for combat testing, and the pilots had mixed reactions to them.

Some people think that the extra weight of the device is not worth this tiny improvement, but others think that even an extra percentage point can be the key to a breakthrough at a critical moment.

Liu Changjing piloted the plane to yaw slightly to the right little by little, while maintaining level flight and accelerating continuously.

The relative position of the incoming enemy aircraft was therefore constantly changing: ten o'clock, nine o'clock, eight o'clock...

At the same time, the distance between the two sides was gradually shortened, four kilometers, three kilometers...

【Picture】

"Mr. Zhou, can you use the machine gun at the back?"

"meeting!"

"Turn on the safety. You can shoot the enemy plane when it occupies the smallest circle in the aiming ring, or you can shoot earlier." Liu Changjing turned his head to observe the posture of the enemy plane.

"Okay, got it." Zhou Changfeng pulled out a belt of ammunition from the ammunition box next to the rear seat, opened the receiver covers of the twin-mounted 7.36mm aviation machine guns and installed them.

This self-defense machine gun is designed to interfere with, hinder, and drive away enemy aircraft that are following and pursuing it, and does not pursue large caliber and high power.

And because of the relative speed, the power of medium-caliber machine gun bullets is also increased exponentially.

At this moment, the two sides had gradually turned into a situation of fleeing in front and chasing behind. The two Type 38 heavy fighters were fleeing to the southeast, and the American aircraft behind were chasing them relentlessly at a slightly higher position.

Due to mechanical failures and personal errors, the US military had three P-38s absent, leaving it with exactly ten.

At 15:46 in the afternoon, the two sides were about to engage in battle.

Because the P-38 lacked cockpit heating equipment, flying at high altitudes was extremely cold and cases of frostbite were not uncommon.

In order to intercept the target at the limit of the range, the pilots stayed at high altitude for more than three hours. Although it has been a long time since they descended to medium altitude, many people still haven't recovered.

"Guys, we only have one chance, take it and go home. Now, on!"

Major David Bob ordered an attack, and fighter planes began to dive one after another.

Who would have thought that as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, he would have to shoot himself in self-defense?

Zhou Changfeng took a deep breath, aimed at the approaching enemy plane and pulled the trigger.

"Ding-deng-deng-"

Bullet casings emitting smoke poured out from the ejection port, and dense bullets were fired at the enemy planes behind!

Liu Changjing was also keeping an eye on the situation behind him. When he predicted that the enemy plane was about to approach within firing distance, he seized the opportunity and pulled the joystick, causing the plane to suddenly tilt to the left.

The enemy plane happened to open fire at this time, and a series of hot bullets just passed by.

Then came the second enemy plane, the third enemy plane...

Liu Changjing was very calm. This was not an air battle, this was an escape!

Now avoid any drastic evasive maneuvers to prevent loss of speed and energy.

Zhou Changfeng hadn't felt so nervous for a long time. His heart was beating very fast and time seemed to have slowed down several times.

The American pilots who came to intercept did not know which of the two Ming army planes was the target, so they could only distribute firepower evenly.

The bullets hit the fuselage with "crackling and ripping" sounds, which was terrifying!
The lead plane Zhou Changfeng was riding in and the wingman next to him were hit one after another. Fortunately, the Type 38 heavy fighter was relatively sturdy and did not suffer fatal damage.

Seeing Liu Changjing so calm, Zhou Changfeng also quickly calmed down, holding his breath, aiming carefully and firing. He was fighting for his own life!

When he had used up the third belt of ammunition, he discovered that he had hit the target. One of the engines of the approaching enemy plane was emitting white smoke, and some fragments could be vaguely seen flying out.

The enemy plane immediately stopped strafing and hastily turned to the right to hide away.

"That's really accurate, Mr. Zhou!" Liu Changjing turned his head left and right, always alert to the surrounding environment. "They used height to trade speed for a round of shooting. Now we can't catch up. There is no chance."

The interception did not last long. The US aircraft were at the limit of their combat radius due to their ultra-long-range attacks, and the window of opportunity left for them was very short.

Moreover, the Type 38E equipped with an emergency afterburner had basically the same speed as the P-F at this altitude, making it difficult to find a second attack opportunity.

What is even more fortunate is that these are only F models. If they were replaced with the newer G model equipped with a 1400-horsepower engine, Zhou would probably be unable to escape today.

At 15:55, ten US aircraft gave up the pursuit, began to reorganize their formation and evacuate to the east.

"We escaped, they left." Liu Changjing breathed a sigh of relief and spoke in a soothing tone.

"There are no more Lockheeds chasing us," he said on the radio.

Zhou Changfeng felt that all the strength in his body was drained away in an instant, and at this moment he seemed to be reborn - this time he was really close to death.

Damn it! Why was it intercepted?
Could it be that the US military cracked their own code? Or did an insider deliberately reveal their whereabouts?

At this time, the wingman pilot shouted angrily on the radio: "The fuel pump of one of my fuel tanks is broken. I can only fly a few hundred miles. Damn shameless bastards, why don't you all just stay here and go to the sea to feed the sharks together!"

He began to climb and turned to pursue the US interception formation.

You want to kill me, right? Then I'd rather die. This Type 5000-E aircraft maintained a low climb rate and slowly climbed to an altitude of meters, so as not to lose too much speed and be thrown off by the US aircraft.

The aircraft pursued relentlessly, without any regard for fuel consumption, and chased at full speed.

In the next half hour, the aircraft launched several attacks on the US interception formation, disrupting the opponent's smooth flight.

Before running out of fuel and making an emergency landing at sea, the aircraft sent its final coordinates and claimed to have damaged three enemy aircraft.

Later, the combat log of the U.S. Army Air Force Kahului recorded that two P-38Fs failed to return at dusk that day.

The plane Zhou Changfeng was on had consumed too much fuel in his previous escape, and its remaining fuel was running low.

In order to save fuel, Liu Changjing chose to climb to high altitudes, where the air is thin and cold, but the resistance is small and the fuel consumption is low.

In the evening, this Type 38 heavy fighter with more than a dozen bullet holes on its fuselage and wings landed steadily on the airport runway in central Oahu.

Zhou Changfeng was so cold that he was sneezing and having a runny nose, obviously having a cold.

A large group of people have gathered here, including Xie Wancheng, Yao Liangchuan, Zhu Lishuo, Zhao Hanfeng, Jiang Xuan, etc., as well as the commander of the 14th Division Zheng Shiquan and chief of staff Lei Fu.

"Jun Zuo, are you okay?"

"Are you injured? Military doctor, come and take a look!"

"I'm fine." Zhou Changfeng struggled to get out of the cockpit and ordered, "Send a message according to the Navy's standard communication code, indicating that a large-scale raid will be launched on Lanai Island tomorrow morning, and then send a reconnaissance plane over there on time tomorrow morning to see if the enemy has made any moves."

When everyone heard the first half of his sentence, they thought he was going to retaliate, but after hearing the second half, they realized it wasn't that simple.

"Understood." Jiang Xuan clasped his fists and accepted the order.

"No way? Is there really someone who dares to do such a thing?" Zhu Lishuo felt unbelievable.

Deng Siquan, the commander of the 38th Division, said bitterly: "Some of these rats are so evil, they have no moral principles, and they deserve to be killed!"

"It's useless to say this now. Let's wait and see tomorrow." Zhou Changfeng waved his hand and said seriously, "If it is confirmed that the communication code has been cracked, then we will temporarily postpone the landing on Lanai Island and use the backup code for the same period."

After he finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something and added, "Oh, and then use the diplomatic code to report to the court that the plane I was on is missing and a search and rescue operation is underway."

"Will this cause misunderstanding in the court?" Yao Liangchuan expressed his doubts.

"Don't worry about that."

"okay."

night.

He was almost cut by the Grim Reaper's scythe. It would be a lie to say that he was calm inside. Zhou Changfeng tossed and turned in bed and didn't fall asleep until midnight.

The brilliant stars are twinkling and the bright moon is gradually sinking.

dawn.

Several reconnaissance planes took off and flew eastward.

When we arrived over Lanai, the sun was just rising above the sea level in the east, shining brightly.

With the help of radar, the Ming army reconnaissance aircraft would be discovered as soon as they took off. However, a single aircraft was not a formation, so it was more difficult to find and track. As long as they were bold and careful, they could just circle over the target and leave.

"When I arrived over Lanai, I saw several planes parked neatly on the runway, about 40 of them. There were three planes waiting to take off at the start of the runway, and six patrol planes in the air, two of which were trying to chase me away."

As the sun rose, the pilot reported what he saw and heard via radio.

The sound of telegraph keys ticking could be heard in the Air Force Command Center, and the faces of all the generals present turned grim.

Yao Liangchuan's eyes were complicated and Zhu Lili clenched his teeth.

Zhou Changfeng, who stood with his hands behind his back, rolled his eyes, gave a bitter smile, and then sighed, "Alas, how much do you hate me?"

No one said a word.

He then gave the order: "In any case, clean up this place first! The plan remains unchanged. Land on Lanai Island according to the established plan. Got it?"

Zheng Shiquan nodded with high spirits and said, "This time, my division is determined to avenge our previous humiliation!"

A year ago, they suffered a bloody defeat in the face of the solid fortified mountains on Molokai Island. They were suppressed by the endless artillery fire of the US military and could not move. They suffered heavy casualties and finally evacuated in a panic after abandoning most of their heavy weapons and technical equipment.

This time, the fully equipped soldiers of the 14th Division vowed to avenge the humiliation. Blood letters and military orders were written continuously from all battalions and teams.

In the early winter of the first year of Jinghe, the first battle in the Pacific battlefield began after the end of the strategic stalemate.

12月8日凌晨4：00，第十四步兵师的先遣部队乘坐11艘登陆舰和2艘货轮启程，先遣部队为第四〇步兵团和海军第六十一独立特务营。

伴随他们的登陆舰队数量不少，总计有11艘扫雷艇、4艘登陆火力支援舰、15艘驱逐舰、1艘超级驱逐舰、3艘轻型巡洋舰、1艘防空巡洋舰、2艘战列舰、1艘医院船的护航下启程，扑向仅仅相隔五十多公里的拉奈岛。

Operation codename: Blood Turbidity.

Referring to the modular pontoons used by the US military, the Ming army also followed suit and ordered hundreds of long pontoons, which were towed by landing ships and could be quickly connected and assembled into temporary floating docks after landing.

Everyone has high hopes for it and proudly calls it the "Iron Chain"!
At 5:15, a total of 24 Type D light bombers took off from Weiyuan Airport on Kauai Island and flew eastward.

At 5:20, 207 aircraft of various types ordered to participate in the battle began to taxi and take off one after another from several airports on Kauai and Oahu.

At 5:40, the light bombers that took off first began to drop jamming foil strips at medium and high altitudes.

Each plane dropped a bundle of chaff strips every half a minute, with 800 or 1200 strips in each bundle. After they drifted into the air, they could form an echo equivalent to the size of a fighter or bomber. According to the order, 24 light bombers were to drop the chaff strips continuously for half an hour, with the route trajectory forming an arc that half surrounded Hawaii.

The SCR-270/271 radars deployed by the US military on Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island were almost completely ineffective. After more than a year of competition, the Ming army had figured out the details of this radar with an operating frequency of 106MHz and a wavelength of 3m, and the chaff dropped was also tailor-made for it.

The echo of the Ming army aircraft detected by the radar was obscured by the messy echoes of a large number of foil strips, and a thick arc appeared on the display screen, making it impossible to identify the real incoming target at all.

【Picture】

With the failure of radar, the US military's most relied upon means of detection suddenly regressed to the interwar period - visual observation with the naked eye.

Air raid listening devices? These antiques are all rusting away in the warehouse!
At 6:01, a total of 27 cutting-edge Yuan-type medium bombers arrived over Maui, escorted by 32 Type J- fighters.

美军有1架P-39D、6架P-40E、3架P-51A前来拦截，很快就被三倍于己的明军飞机所淹没。

One after another, the First Year Aviation Delay Bombs fell out of the magazine and hit the Kahului Airport below.

The mother warhead uses a long-delay fuse and explodes only after it drills deep into the ground. Then, hundreds of bullets fall one after another.

Looking down from the sky, the flames of the explosion were not obvious, but mud and smoke rose into the sky!

(End of this chapter)