Saburo Sakai also looked surprised. Routine patrols usually involve two planes, so that if an emergency occurs, there will be someone to take care of it. At least one person can escape and report. It is rare for two planes to disappear together.
Yes, if so, it must have encountered an enemy aircraft group or a powerful enemy.
But the problem now is that the Chinese Air Force has long been defeated. As for the Liantai Militia's fleet of Bo-2 aircraft, it is a joke in the eyes of Saburo Sakai.
This design was originally used as a junior trainer biplane for sneak attacks. If you want to engage in air combat with the Empire of Japan's advanced Type 96 fighters and Type 1 fighters... To put it bluntly, Saburo Sakai fought one against ten.
Not afraid.
"Your Excellency Colonel, please tell me what we are going to do now." The officer on duty asked again.
Fujino Shigeharu glanced at the noisy hall and felt troubled. Most of the pilots of the 21st Flying Group were here. There were less than six aircraft on combat readiness duty at the airport. In other words, excluding the two missing aircraft,
Now there are only four planes left that can take to the sky.
But now is not the time to consider this, and Fujino Shigeharu is also an officer with a resolute character. He just thought for a moment and made an immediate decision. He said to the officer on duty: "Immediately order all four aircraft on standby at the airport.
Take off and search along the direction of their patrol. I will immediately go to the headquarters to report the matter to the Commander, requesting the Commander to send troops from various locations to coordinate the search and make sure to find the two missing planes."
"Hi!"
After the officer on duty left, Saburo Sakai hesitated and said, "Teacher, we can also help."
"no!"
Fujino Shigeharu shook his head, "Everyone who comes here is more or less drunk. It is our ironclad rule to strictly prohibit drunk driving. You can't violate it at any time, otherwise big trouble will happen."
"Hey... the teacher was right, the student was confused." Saburo Sakai bowed and apologized.
Following the order, Japanese garrisons everywhere sent search teams, and the two missing planes were found the next day. Not only that, they even found a pilot who had parachuted, and the pilot's report was also
Fujino Shigeharu was surprised.
"What... were you shot down by a Chinese fighter plane? And it was a type of aircraft you have never seen before?"
"Yes." The surviving pilot was lying on the hospital bed at this time, with both legs in plaster. He fell into a ravine and broke his legs while parachuting. According to the doctor, even though the pilot had broken his legs,
If you get better, you will most likely become a cripple and have no choice but to retire early.
Thinking of this, Fujino Shigeharu felt a little irritated. What was going on?
However, he still managed to hold back his irritation and asked: "Can you describe the scene at that time?"
"Can!"
The pilot recalled for a while and said slowly: "At that time, Mr. Sakai and I were flying Type 96 fighters to patrol in the predetermined direction. When we were more than fifty kilometers away from Liantai County, four monoplanes suddenly rushed out of the clouds.
.
These four planes dived very fast, and Mr. Sakai and I had no time to react. Mr. Sakai's plane was blown up on the spot. I had better luck, but was hit by a bullet and caught fire on the spot. I then pushed open the cockpit and parachuted out.
When I was parachuting, I clearly saw the appearance of the four planes that attacked me.
That kind of aircraft is very big, at least larger than our Type 96 and Type 1 aircraft, and it is round like a roller. Later, when my injury is better, I can draw a sketch of this kind of aircraft."
"Bagaya Road is Liantai County again."
Fujino Shigeharu couldn't help but cursed loudly. If he hadn't understood that these planes must be related to the Rendai Militia, he would have been the captain of the flying team for nothing.
Saburo Sakai on the side also frowned. Didn't he say that the Liantai Militia only had some backward biplanes? Why is there a monoplane that they have never seen before?
This shouldn't be the case. You must know that airplanes are not like ordinary guns. This thing is high-tech. China has absolutely no ability to produce it on its own. Who dares to take the risk of offending the Empire of Japan?
What about selling it to China?
Fujino Shigeharu said to Saburo Sakai: "This matter is very important. I want to report the information to the Commander as soon as possible. Your escort mission has been completed this time, so you should return to the homeland as soon as possible."
"Hi!"
Saburo Sakai knew that he could not help much by staying, so he bowed slightly and said, "In this case, I will bid you farewell. Please take care of yourself!"
"Go for it!"
………………
Just when the Japanese army was facing a formidable enemy because of the new fighter planes of the Liantai Militia, the airport of the Liantai Militia's flying brigade was filled with cheers and a joyous atmosphere everywhere.
The person who set up an ambush and shot down two Japanese patrol planes today was none other than Huang Kebiao and the three P-47 Thunder fighters he led.
To be honest, this battle was not really an ambush set up intentionally by Huang Kebiao. After all, this aircraft has only been acquired for a week and is now in the familiarization and running-in stage.
Today, Huang Kebiao was conducting a two-on-two simulated air combat training with three aircraft, but he accidentally discovered two Japanese aircraft flying from the direction of Taiyuan. Huang Kebiao reported to the ground tower and requested to launch an attack on the two Japanese aircraft.
Huang Huaimin, the tower commander, agreed to his request after some consideration.
So Huang Kebiao led three P-47 Thunder fighters to ambush on the clouds on the second floor. When the two Japanese planes approached, they suddenly swooped down from the clouds and shot down the two unprepared Japanese planes with lightning speed.
The four Huang Kebiao who returned to the airport were treated like heroes. They were lifted up and thrown into the air by the pilots. After being caught, they were thrown into the air again.
Looking at these excited pilots, Huang Huaimin on the tower smiled like an old father.
Of course he knew why the pilots were so excited. Even though the flying brigade had participated in two battles, they were both air attacks on the Japanese ground troops when the Japanese army was unprepared. It can only be said that they added some actual combat training.
Before today, they had never had a real battle with Japanese aircraft in the sky.
To be honest, when Huang Kebiao reported that he had discovered Japanese planes and asked to participate in the battle, his first subconscious reaction was to order them to return, but then he remembered what his old commander, the late Captain Gao Zhihang, once said
.
"The air force must have the spirit of fighting when it encounters the enemy. Even if the number of aircraft and performance are inferior to the enemy, it must have the courage to fight to the death. Otherwise, the air force will be an army without a soul and not a real air force."
It was precisely with these considerations in mind that Huang Huaimin approved Huang Kebiao's request.
But all this has passed. After today, they can proudly say that Japanese planes are nothing special and we can shoot them down.