The Japanese Type 97 aviation machine gun is a Vickers E aviation machine gun from the Empire on which the Sun Never Sets. The Japanese call it the "Quinjet seven-millimeter fixed machine gun".
What’s interesting is that there are actually two types of Japanese aviation machine guns. In addition to HNA’s Type 97 aircraft machine gun, there is also Army Aviation’s Type 89 aircraft machine gun.
These two machine guns are almost identical. There is no difference even in caliber, ammunition, etc., because they are both imitations of the Vickers E aircraft machine guns of the Empire on which the Sun Never Sets.
But they are two machine guns developed separately by two departments with two names... Needless to say, the reason is that the Japanese Army and Navy are at odds with each other and disdain each other to jointly develop the same aviation machine gun, so this situation arises.
In addition, the caliber of the 7.7MM caliber heavy machine gun used by the Japanese army is exactly the same as that of this aviation machine gun. However, the Japanese have to develop another system. As a result, the ammunition is completely incompatible. This can be said to be a characteristic of the Japanese. .
From this point of view, the Japs at this time actually still have a long way to go before establishing a modern military industrial enterprise. The reason why they were able to wreak havoc in China during World War II was entirely because China had been in a state of warlord separatism for a long time and failed to achieve Unification also failed to achieve industrialization.
It is relatively easy for Wang Xuexin to obtain this machine gun, because the Eighth Route Army is now an ally with Yingjiang, and they have a common enemy: the Japanese.
Regarding this matter, Wang Xuexin just sent a telegram to Sun Erwei. He pretended to be miserable in the telegram: "Mr. Sun Erwei, you know our current situation. The Japanese have increased a large number of troops in China. They seem to have shifted their strategic focus to China." .We have been under considerable pressure. Now in the north, our army has basically lost air supremacy, and the Japanese may launch a full-scale attack on our army at any time. On the other hand, the equipment provided by Mao Xiong has many faults, and even the fighter planes The machine guns used often have problems, which is one of the reasons why our army cannot successfully seize air supremacy. We hope to purchase Vickers E-type aviation machine guns from Sun Never Sets. I wonder if your country can contact our army? "
This is half true and half false.
It's really what Wang Xuexin said... at least it seems so on the surface. Because the Japs had "man-operated missiles", they lost the air battle in the Daqingshan area but gained air supremacy. At this time, they were flying everywhere over Daqingshan. They are all the enemy's fighter planes.
However, the Eighth Route Army's fighter planes could only stick to Liyuan Airport due to range issues.
Sun Erwei, as Yingjiang's intelligence agent in the Eighth Route Army, of course knew this.
Sun Erwei thinks this way:
It is well known that the Japanese have shifted their strategic focus to China, and this was even intentional by Yingjiang... Yingjiang scared the Japanese on the Pacific battlefield and made the Japanese realize that they would not be able to defeat Yingjiang at sea in the long run, so they could only The strategic direction shifted to China.
Now, if China cannot withstand the Japanese offensive, it will obviously be detrimental to Yingjiang.
This is not alarmist, because the stubborn army's frontal defense line has been greatly defeated by the Japanese offensive. Even several airports secretly set up by Yingjiang at the stubborn army have been occupied by the Japanese... These airports are Yingjiang's. It was deployed in the stubborn defense zone after the Tokyo bombing.
Yingjiang considered one thing: it is basically impossible for bombers to take off from Yingjiang's homeland at this time, because they will encounter enemy fighter jets on the way. Bombing from an aircraft carrier will firstly make it difficult to take off, and secondly, it will bring huge risks to the aircraft carrier itself.
Then why not set up an airport in China and take off from China?
Therefore, several large airports were built in the areas controlled by the stubborn troops to prepare for bombing the Japanese mainland.
However, these airports fell into the hands of the Japanese before they had time to play their role, and they even became the Japanese advance bases... As soon as the Japanese occupied these airports, they immediately used them to take off and land their own fighters and bombers, and to cover ground troops.
Continue to launch a fierce attack on the stubborn army.
The performance of the stubborn army really disappointed Yingjiang.
The 1st, 4th and 9th theaters of the stubborn army are responsible for the main defense tasks. The total number of participating troops is more than 1.3 million, which is 2.5 times that of the Japanese. They are on a solid defense line that has been operating for a long time and should have an absolute advantage.
Yingjiang originally estimated that it was necessary for the recalcitrant troops to hold on to their own defense line. Not only could they hold on, but they could also use the stable fortifications and the weapons and ammunition reinforced by Yingjiang to launch a counterattack... First, use the fortifications to kill the Japanese's effective forces, and wait for the time to mature and wait for the Japanese's morale to rise.
When the downtrodden troops cannot be replenished, they can launch a full-scale counterattack and then annihilate the main Japanese force from west to east.
Chongqing is also very cooperative with the idea of Yingjiang, and is even preparing for this so-called "comprehensive counterattack", with a combat plan drawn up.
However, the reality was completely beyond everyone's expectation.
The Battle of Central Henan lasted only 37 days, and 38 cities were lost, an average of more than one city a day.
To capture a city in one day, what kind of battle is this?
It would take almost a day for the Japs to walk from one city to another. In other words, the defenders fled just after they reached the city?
And the debacle continues…
After more than a month of fighting, 7 air force bases, 30 airports and more than 100,000 square kilometers of land were occupied by the Japanese. A total of more than 60 million people became homeless and became refugees.
The speed of the defeat shocked Yingjiang.
If the fight continues like this, it won't be long before Chongqing is taken over by the Japanese too, right?
what to do?
If the Japanese can really occupy all of China, their worries will be solved, and many troops will be freed up to devote to the Pacific battlefield.
What's more important is...
If the Japs occupy the entire territory of China and move all the government, people and industries to China, if Yingjiang wants to destroy the Japs, will he have to land in China and engage in a ground battle with the Japs?
This is what Yingjiang is most worried about.
Because ground operations on the mainland are not like sea and air battles, nor are they like operations on the Pacific islands, where modern equipment can be used to gain an advantage, such as using naval guns to bombard the islands for days and nights.
How many people will die in Yingjiang then?
In contrast, the performance of the Eighth Route Army was much better than that of the stubborn army.
Although the Eighth Route Army had few troops and backward equipment, they were not only able to stabilize their position, they even had the potential to counterattack. They were able to defend the defense lines in Daqingshan and Luliang Mountains despite such a powerful Japanese offensive.
However, by this time the Eighth Route Army had lost air supremacy and the situation was extremely urgent.
At this time, the Eighth Route Army asked for the Vickers E aircraft machine gun, which never sets on the sun. Will it help or not?
In fact, there was nothing to hesitate. Sun Erwei only sent a telegram to Doolittle, and Doolittle responded immediately: "Send it to them immediately. The route has not been cut off by the Japanese! We will do it as soon as possible, God! Let them do it."