sjar Chapter 535: Air Force Elite Arrives
Chapter 535: Air Force Elite Arrives
Of course, Li Shaoyi worked very hard, but the agreement with Japan had not yet been signed. A group of scoundrels in Nanjing began to instigate the Executive Yuan to give orders to Li Shaoyi. Now Li Shaoyi represented not only the army, but also civil affairs, and they urged Li Shaoyi to reach an agreement with Japan.
In fact, the most important part of the agreement is to prevent the Japanese navy from entering the territorial waters of the island city. Since the end of World War I, my country's coastal areas have been similar to before. Warships from various countries can come and go as they please without having to report anything. It is simply their back garden.
The Japanese were even more rampant. Because we were the victors of World War I, Western countries would report to us when we came in, but the Japanese never did.
Li Shaoyi didn't intend to preach. After all, the Japanese were like animals. They wouldn't understand what you said. We had to do something practical.
At this moment, in the temporary command room of the island city airport, Li Qiankun personally brought sixty pilots to report.
"The Air Force Commander has come personally, and my newly appointed Navy Commander is also here. We have two Commanders of the three armed forces here, and we haven't appointed an Army Commander yet. If I take over temporarily, am I being too kind to these little devils?"
Li Shaoyi came in from outside with a smile. The lowest-ranking officer in the room was a colonel-level officer.
"I just want to see for myself how warships are blown up. Although there are some examples of this in foreign wars, this time it's our own planes, and I have to see it for myself."
In fact, during the First World War, there were already cases of airplanes bombing warships, but the bombs they carried at that time were not powerful enough, so they could only deal with transport ships. If they really wanted to bomb warships, the speed of the airplanes at that time would not be able to avoid the anti-aircraft guns, and they would be simply served as food.
Moreover, the mainstream opinion in the world now believes that the foundation of naval warfare should be huge ships and cannons.
They did not believe that the bombs carried by the planes could blow a hole in the huge battleship, but believed that more than one ton of artillery shells were the real sword of the navy.
It was not until the Pearl Harbor incident that aircraft carriers came to the fore. Although many countries had built many aircraft carriers, the Japanese were the first to use them.
Although Li Shaoyi does not have an aircraft carrier now, I don’t want to go fighting everywhere. I just want to ensure the safety of the island city Linhai. So when in the north, Li Shaoyi also asked Li Qiankun to select some elite pilots to bomb moving targets.
More than two hundred pilots were selected, and a large number of trucks pulling wooden targets began to train in the open space. Now it is time to test the training results.
When they set out from the grassland, Li Qiankun had already told these people that this time their examination would not be conducted by our Air Force, but by the Marshal himself.
These people all regarded Li Shaoyi as their idol, and when their idol became the examiner, these people took him even more seriously.
"I heard that the experiment had already started yesterday. What were the results?"
Li Shaoyi did not talk nonsense with everyone. This was also the consistent tradition of the 72nd Division. Talking nonsense would not get anything done. It was not too late to talk nonsense at the dinner table after finishing the business.
"Yesterday, we requisitioned a fellow villager's fishing boat and conducted a drill by towing a target at sea. However, our speed is not as fast as a warship. Although our hit rate is high, when we actually face a warship, I think it will drop to 20%, only around 75%."
The hit rate of dive bombers is very high. In the absence of other fighters, the hit rate must be at least 65%. Of course, if the fleet forms an air defense formation, the hit rate will be even lower. However, the Japanese now will never form an air defense formation. They do not believe that the air force in Li Shaoyi's hands has the ability to fight at sea.
Land-based aviation and naval aviation are two completely different things. If Li Shaoyi were given an aircraft carrier, he did not think that his pilots would be able to take off and land on the aircraft carrier immediately. This was simply impossible.
But no one said that land-based aviation could not bomb warships. Moreover, we had been training on the grassland for half a day and were also conducting secret training at sea. Japanese spies might have heard some news, but the proud Japanese Navy would never believe it.
"What is the current situation of the surrounding Japanese navy?"
Li Shaoyi looked at Gu Xiaomeng next to him. Natasha was currently staying on the grassland, and all the intelligence work here was under the responsibility of Gu Xiaomeng.
"The Japanese Navy's Second Squadron is located near the island city. Its main forces consist of a 10,000-ton heavy cruiser, two 5,000-ton light cruisers, four 1,800-ton destroyers, and two 8,000-ton supply ships. They are currently heading directly south of the island city."
Gu Xiaomeng also got the information from spies, but it was not so accurate. The navy is constantly on the move. When she received this information, the Japanese navy had already started moving, and it was difficult to say where it was at the moment.
"It's up to you. Our reconnaissance aircraft currently has a relatively short range, but we must find the Japanese warships within their maximum range."
Li Shaoyi looked at Li Qiankun and said that it was almost impossible to expect the intelligence department to find the most accurate location. If they could really find it, Japan and the Americans might not need to send reconnaissance planes for the naval confrontation. All the reconnaissance planes could be pushed into the sea to make room for fighter jets and other fuel.
The reconnaissance aircraft currently used by Li Shaoyi is a modified BF109. Fortunately, the system gives a 1945 model with a maximum range of 900 kilometers. However, including the return half, it can only fly within a radius of 450 kilometers at most.
If it were on land, nine hundred kilometers would not be close, but if it were on the vast ocean, with a radius of four hundred and fifty kilometers, it would not be possible to fly very far.
Fortunately, we have a large number of aircraft, and we can release twelve reconnaissance planes at the same time, sending them out in a fan-shaped pattern to ensure that they do not turn in the middle of the journey and all fly forward, thus saving distance.
"Please rest assured, Marshal. Our reconnaissance pilots are also outstanding. We have spent millions of dollars on training alone. If we can't produce some elite pilots, I would be embarrassed to stand in front of you."
When Li Qiankun said this, he felt a little guilty. Of course, the biggest expense of his training was fuel, but for Li Shaoyi, this was basically free, which was equivalent to getting elite pilots for free...