The two points put forward by Wang Xuexin are very convincing.
The former refers to the purpose of the Eighth Route Army's establishment of an air force... assisting in the defense of Yuncheng enabled the Eighth Route Army to defend this city located on the Yuncheng Plain.
Since it is for this purpose, the Eighth Route Army's air force cannot only choose to fight at night, that is, as Major Doug said, mount rockets for the Japanese to attack and be done.
If they are satisfied with this, the Eighth Route Army will face a very serious problem: one day, when the Japanese choose to attack Yuncheng during the day, they use "zero combat" to suppress the Wanxian Airport so that the Eighth Route Army fighters do not dare to take off, and then use bombers to deal with the Eighth Route Army's tanks.
He also didn't dare to fight.
Therefore, although the Eighth Route Army had aircraft and tanks, they were unable to engage in combat in the direction of Yuncheng. It made little difference whether they had them or not.
Can Yuncheng be able to defend itself under such circumstances?
The latter, that is, the Japanese night fighter has been put into the battlefield. This is no secret... In fact, the Japanese night fighter was urgently put into actual combat because of the urgency of the Pacific battlefield. It still has many shortcomings and is very crude.
This night fighter is the ki45 named "Dragon Slayer".
Its method of achieving night combat is very simple. It is to add a machine gunner behind the fighter cockpit. This machine gunner controls two oblique-firing machine guns... In night combat, the pilot must drive, control weapons, and identify ourselves and the enemy.
It's almost impossible to do.
But if a machine gunner is added to the rear to be responsible for shooting, and there is no need to chase the tail of the target but fly side by side with the enemy aircraft, then there will be time to identify the enemy and friendly aircraft and take aim (it is easier to identify the enemy and friendly aircraft from the side than from the rear)
much).
This method can almost be described as "primitive", and it pales in comparison to the "Black Widow" that Yingjiang invested in later to use radar to achieve night combat.
But it at least achieved night combat, and performed very well for a long period of time... This Japanese night fighter even defended the homeland and had the ability to intercept the B29s headed for bombing by Eagle Sauce.
The problem faced by the Eighth Route Army Air Force is that if it purely chooses to mount rockets for night combat, then the Hawk 81, which does not have night air combat capabilities, will have to face the Japanese ki45, which has night air combat capabilities. What will be the result then?
No need to say more.
Major Doug is an experienced pilot and of course he understands this.
But he still insisted on his point of view: "These problems may exist, but by then, we will have bought time, and the pilots will have more practical experience, don't you think so?"
After Li Yueying finished translating, without waiting for Wang Xuexin's reply, she said to Major Doug: "But Major, the battlefield is never ready. When that time comes, we will be equally unprepared, just like Yingjiang is also fighting at this time.
It’s like an unprepared battle! I think our pilots should grow in actual combat, not in training! Because we don’t have time to grow in training, and we don’t have the conditions to grow in training!”
Major Doug was speechless.
He knew that Li Yueying was right. Growth in training would be much slower than in actual combat, although it was safer.
Major Doug really hopes that the troops can grow in training.
However, will the enemy give the Eighth Route Army this opportunity?
No, definitely not!
The enemy has many methods, such as bombing, and using air superiority to attack Yuncheng.
What's more, if you are suppressed by "Zero War" and can't even take off, how can you grow in training?
Wang Xuexin added: "We have no choice, Major! Either cancel the air force or choose air combat! There is no third way!"
"Okay!" Major Doug said helplessly: "Maybe you are right, but I hope you know one thing. It is almost impossible for Yingjiang to send excellent pilots to reinforce us, and you know the reason!"
Wang Xuexin nodded.
A number of Yingjiang's excellent pilots were sacrificed in the early stages of the battle. At this time, Yingjiang's aircraft carrier needs them even more. Sending them to China? It is simply a luxury.
"Then!" Major Doug said: "With our current conditions, if we directly engage in air combat with the enemy, there is likely to be only one result, and that is that our pilots fly into the sky in batches, and are shot down by the enemy in batches.
Come down. The battle loss ratio is probably one to six or even higher. Have you ever thought about this?"
Wang Xuexin nodded again.
Although there are tactics to deal with "zero combat" that Wang Xuexin mentioned before, but that is when using "wildcats" and the quality of the pilots is not a problem. Even so, it can only reach one to three.
Now, with second-line pilots controlling the Hawk 81, a combat loss ratio of one to six would be considered good.
Major Doug asked doubtfully: "Even so, do you still want to do this? The enemy's 12 'Zero Fighters' are very likely to knock down our entire aviation fleet, and then we will have nothing!"
Wang Xuexin replied: "First of all, if we dare not take to the air to fight, what is the difference between this result and this result?"
Major Doug didn't answer.
In his opinion, there is a difference, at least he still has cards to play.
Wang Xuexin did not dwell too much on this issue. He continued: "Secondly, we will not let our pilots risk one to six battle losses to compete with the enemy in a war of attrition. This makes no sense! Our Eighth Route Army never does this.
This kind of loss-making business, these aircraft and pilots are very precious to us!"
This is especially true for pilots.
If they are all replaced, even if Yingjiang is willing to give them planes, the Eighth Route Army will never be able to recruit another batch of pilots.
Major Doug said doubtfully: "But, do you have a solution? I mean, can you change this battle loss ratio?"
Wang Xuexin replied: "Although I'm not sure, I think I can give it a try!"
Major Doug spread his hands and acted as if he was all ears, so Wang Xuexin knew that this stubborn major would not change his mind if he was not persuaded tactically.
"Let's put it this way!" Wang Xuexin said: "Our situation is that we have more fighter planes than the enemy! I mean, there are more 'zero battles' than the enemy!"
The 96-ship battle is not within the scope of Wang Xuexin's consideration, because its performance is on par with the Hawker 81. If you don't dare to fight the 96-ship battle, then don't say anything.
Major Doug rolled his eyes helplessly: "It's not quantity that can solve the problem, Wang!"
Major Doug thought that Wang Xuexin made the mistake of common sense in air combat, that is, he wanted to win with numbers.
Unexpectedly, Wang Xuexin replied: "I know, Major. But what if we hide the fighter planes used for air combat in the fighter planes with rockets mounted on them? When the enemy's Zero Fighter came to intercept, the fighter jets suddenly launched a counterattack