radicalducati Chapter 28: Five Forces Combined, Formation of the Tortoise and Snake
Chapter 28: Five Forces Combined, Formation of the Tortoise and Snake
Although Wang Tianmu was disappointed, he didn't dare to force the issue and quickly said, "Understood, understood! Director Crow, whatever you need, the entire Shanghai station will do its utmost to cooperate!" He desperately needed credit to stabilize the situation and report back to his superiors.
Han Zhenhua stopped wasting time; he had to seize this opportunity: "Station Chief Wang, I have urgent military intelligence."
The Japanese naval air force plans to bomb the Hanyang Arsenal in Wuhan at 5:00 AM tomorrow, February 2nd.
The attack force consisted of 30 bombers launched from the aircraft carriers Soryu and Hosho, escorted by 20 Type 96 Taisho air-launched fighters. The objective was to completely destroy the core workshops of the arsenal and weaken the PLA's sustained combat capability.
As Wang Tianmu frantically took notes, he felt a chill run down his spine! It was another top-level strategic intelligence report, precise down to the time, location, troop strength, and even strategic intent!
5 a.m. tomorrow? It's already afternoon! The Wuhan authorities have less than fifteen hours to prepare!
"Understood! The Canglong and Fengxiang aircraft carriers, 30 bombers, and 20 Type 96 escorts, target Hanyang Arsenal, 5:00 AM tomorrow! I will report immediately! Thank you, Director Crow! You have done another great service!" Wang Tianmu's voice trembled with excitement.
"Station Chief Wang, merit or not is not important. What's important is to protect the arsenal, that's our goal." After saying that, Han Zhenhua decisively hung up the phone again.
Wang Tianmu gripped the microphone, took a few deep breaths, and forced himself to calm down. He glanced at the equally shocked deputy station chief, Fu Jingnian, beside him, and roared, "Quick! Top secret! Send a message to headquarters immediately! It's extremely urgent! No, I'll send it myself!"
In Chongqing, at the headquarters of the Military Intelligence Bureau, Mao Qi practically stormed into Dai Chunfeng's office, clutching the newly translated telegram.
"Commander! Urgent telegram from Shanghai Station! Crow! It's Crow again! He's calling!" Mao Qi's voice trembled. "The Japanese will bomb the Hanyang Arsenal in Wuhan at 5:00 AM tomorrow! The aircraft carriers Soryu and Hosho, with 30 bombers and 20 Type 96 fighters as escort!"
Dai Chunfeng jumped to his feet, snatched the telegram, and his eyes scanned it rapidly. His face instantly filled with surprise and elation: "Good! Good crow! Quick! There's no time to verify, report to the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Chairman's Office immediately! Be quick!"
Mao Qi accepted the order and rushed off. However, perhaps due to excessive excitement, or perhaps due to exhaustion from staying up all night, he made a fatal mistake when drafting the telegram to be forwarded to the Admiralty and the Ministry of Military Affairs!
He wrote out the complete text, "According to top-secret intelligence obtained by our Military Intelligence Bureau's ace agent 'Crow'...", forgetting Dai Chunfeng's repeated instructions that the existence of "Crow" must be kept absolutely secret and that the source of the intelligence should be obscured when reporting to the outside world!
This urgent telegram, codenamed "Crow," was sent to the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Chairman's Office with the highest priority, and was also placed on the desk of Chen Cheng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Wuhan Garrison.
Inside the Wuhan Garrison Command headquarters, the lights were blazing. The newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, Chen Cheng, looked at the urgent telegram in his hand, especially at the words "Military Intelligence Bureau's top agent 'Crow'," and a strange light flashed in his eyes.
But he had no time to investigate who this "crow" was; all his attention was focused on the contents of the telegram.
"At five o'clock tomorrow morning... Hanyang Arsenal... fifty enemy planes..." Chen Cheng muttered to himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Time is of the essence! He abruptly looked up and roared at his adjutant, "Quickly! Pass down the order: all officers of division rank and above, and commanders of the Soviet air force aiding China, to immediately report to headquarters for a meeting! Anyone who delays will be court-martialed!"
Within half an hour, the headquarters was filled with high-ranking officers, and the atmosphere was heavy. Chen Cheng didn't waste any words and went straight to reporting the intelligence.
"Gentlemen, this is the situation. The Chairman personally ordered that we must use this intelligence to inflict heavy damage on the enemy and crush the arrogance of the Japanese pirates! What good strategies do you have? Please speak freely!" Chen Cheng's gaze swept over the key members of his civil engineering department and the Soviet air force representatives aiding China.
A bespectacled, thin major general staff officer, Guo Rumou, who was also Chen Cheng's strategist, stood up, walked to the Wuhan air defense map, and said in a deep voice: "Commander-in-Chief, colleagues. The enemy's attack routes are relatively fixed. Although our army has little time to prepare, we can still carefully set up a tight net!"
"I have a plan, called 'Five Forces Combined, Formation of Tortoise and Snake, Encirclement from Above and Below, Luring the Enemy into the Trap'!"
He picked up the baton and quickened his pace: "First force: I request that Captain Ivanov of the Soviet Air Force Aid China Group lead all available I-15 and I-16 fighters to take off covertly in advance, occupy a favorable altitude, and wait for the enemy bomber group to enter the airspace of Wuhan before launching a high-altitude dive attack to disrupt their formation and entangle their escort fighters!"
The second force: Young and capable air force soldiers of the Republic of China, piloting Hawk III and other fighter jets, would lie in ambush in the clouds or at low altitudes, and while the Soviet forces were engaged with the enemy, they would concentrate their firepower to target the enemy bombers!
The third force: mobilize all anti-aircraft artillery units in Hanyang and Hankou, immediately increase the firepower density in the airspace around the Hanyang Arsenal, and form a dense barrage!
Fourthly, I order my 18th Army of the Civil Engineering Corps to garrison the high ground of Turtle Mountain and Snake Mountain, and immediately set up all standard light and heavy machine guns on the mountaintops to form an anti-aircraft fire network! Even if the army's firepower has limited effectiveness in anti-air combat, it can still play a certain auxiliary and restraining role!
Fifth Force: Immediately coordinate with the arsenal and artillery units to work overtime tonight to unscrew the warheads of some of the stockpiled 75mm mountain gun and field gun shells, replace the internal parts with iron nails, iron balls, and scrap iron, and repackage them in a simple manner! Calculate the possible altitude and area of enemy aircraft, and use these "airburst shells" to achieve area coverage during the most intense air combat! Precision is not the goal, but the maximum kill radius!
With these five forces combined, air and ground forces working in unison, and relying on the advantageous terrain of Turtle Mountain and Snake Mountain, we will surely ensure that the Japanese bomber formations never return!
Guo Rumou's plan was bold and meticulous, even containing some unconventional and improvisational ideas, yet it was highly feasible. The audience listened with rapt attention.
"Good! What a brilliant 'Five Forces Combined, Turtle and Snake Formation'! Let's proceed according to your plan! Execute it immediately!"
The entire army must be fully deployed by 4:00 AM tomorrow!
"Whoever made a mistake, bring me their head!" Chen Cheng slammed his hand on the table and gave the order decisively.
At four o'clock in the morning on February 2, 1938, the Wuhan area was bitterly cold, but the hearts of countless Chinese soldiers were burning with passion.
According to the deployment, each unit quietly entered its position. The anti-aircraft guns were removed, the machine guns were mounted on the hilltops, and the modified "iron shot" was also secretly transported to the pre-designated artillery positions.
Soviet Air Force pilots and Chinese pilots repeatedly rehearsed tactics in their cockpits at the airport.
Around five o'clock in the morning, the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
An urgent report came from the radio monitoring station: "Large number of unidentified aircraft signals detected! Altitude approximately 4500 meters, direction southeast, approaching Wuhan!"
"They're here!" All the commanders' hearts were in their throats.