Chapter 812: Air strikes on Lushun

Just as Qingdao was busy with naval battles, the Chinese airship troops finally crossed the Bohai Sea and arrived over Lushun after more than ten hours of flight. During the entire flight, the airship troops not only maintained the highest altitude, but also deliberately avoided commonly used navigation routes to reduce the chance of being discovered by the enemy.

The Lushun Command was not unaware of the dynamics of Chinese airships. A transport ship that supplies the 18th Division had just passed by Yantai in the morning and saw a dense fleet of airships in the air. The transport ship reported the news to the 18th Division in Longkou Town. However, at that time, the 18th Division was facing a crisis on the front battlefield, and did not take it seriously. He just sent a telegram to Lushun on an ordinary line.

Lushun attached more importance to the battle situation of the 18th Division, and at the same time, he had a very limited understanding of the use of airships. He saw that it was a telegram from ordinary lines, so he didn't care much about it.

From four o'clock in the afternoon, the Lushun Command was in a state of shock and busyness. They received an emergency telegram from Kamio Kwang-chen from Longkou and learned that the 18th Division was currently in trouble. However, just when the Lushun Command had not solved the army's problems, they received a radio from the Second Fleet at 10 o'clock in the evening and were immediately in greater shock again.

When the airship troops were in charge of Lushun while the night was taking advantage of the darkness, the soldiers on duty at the port and fortress were not noticed, so the entire Lushun headquarters did not react at all.

When the flagship "Great Consul" flew all the way over the Lushun Naval Base, in order to facilitate the accuracy of aiming and bomb drops, the height was vertically reduced.

Several patrol soldiers who were smoking at the naval base suddenly felt a shadow pressing their heads. They unconsciously raised their heads and immediately found that many huge creatures were suddenly approaching the sky. They had never seen such a thing before. They were so scared that they even dropped the cigarette. Two soldiers even collapsed on the ground with their legs and feet.

"Quick, sound the alarm, what is this?"

"It's an airship, it's an airship, so many airships, my god, hurry up... hurry up!"

"Whose airship?"

"It must be...it must be Chinese. Oh no, they are here."

More than one patrolman discovered this situation, and soon the entire naval base was shouting loudly. All the patrol captains took out sirens and blew hard. The sharp flute woke the quiet naval base up. A few minutes later, the base's combat alarm sounded.

Before the soldiers at the naval base could run out of the barracks, the Grand Consul had already dropped a gasoline bomb.

"Boom"! With a loud burst, a huge flame exploded on the shore base, and tinder oil splashed everywhere, burning the clothes of the nearby patrolmen. The patrolmen screamed and slapped the fire part, but as soon as their hands touched it, the tinder oil immediately burned his skin. In desperation, these people had to jump directly into the sea from the shore.

The flames were the signal, and the other fifteen airships dropped petrol bombs in their respective hovering positions.

In just one moment, violent explosions occurred in most parts of the naval base, and the flames of the gasoline bombs were spreading wildly like wild horses. Screams came from behind the rolling smoke, and the originally dark naval base was shining brightly by the flames. This is also the reason why the airship troops first dropped the gasoline bombs, using the continuous flames after the explosion of the gasoline bombs to facilitate observers to find valuable targets of attack.

Before launching this large-scale air strike, Chinese intelligence units had already figured out the layout of the Lushun Fortress and naval bases and marked all valuable bombing targets.

When the flames of the gasoline bomb spread the terrain of the entire naval base, the air craft troops immediately began to compare the geography below according to the map, and then flew towards the nearest marked target.

The guards of the Lushun Fortress rushed to the naval base, but before they could enter the gate of the naval base, the naval barracks not far ahead were continuously bombed by bombs. The bomb dropping device on the airship was an attack of eight bombs. The entire naval barracks were blown upside down in just three attacks. Many soldiers who were still dressed or had just arrived at the barracks to gather and died on the spot.

The fortress guards have no air-to-air weapons, so they can only use a large number of men to rescue the wounded and supplies. A few soldiers lined up to shoot in the air with rifles. The bullets were from bottom to top, not to mention whether they could hit the airship in the dark, even if they barely hit the airship, they were blocked outside the protective coating of the airship.

Sixteen airships gradually began to drop bombs on a large scale. After the naval barracks, the naval indoor docks, ships, ammunition depots, and fuel depots that were docked at the docks and had no time to transfer were bombed one after another. The training ships of the Second Fleet, torpedo boats, transport ships, and even the official cruise ships passing by the military ports were sank into the sea with the sound of explosions. When the large airship of the "Asian Shield" locked the naval fuel depot and dropped the first eight bombs, the entire fuel depot was quickly detonated, and the powerful explosion impact even shaking the airships parked in the air for 200 meters.

The explosion of the fuel warehouse caused the first major trauma at the Naval Base tonight. The fire waves spread, razing all the surrounding houses to the ground. All the soldiers who did not have time to evacuate were spared!

The Lushun Fortress Command was alarmed by the continuous explosions. Most of the officers couldn't help but run outside and look in the direction of the naval base. Soon they were shocked by the flames soaring into the sky and screaming. The commander of the Fifth Division, Lieutenant General Otani Kikuzo, was left at the Lushun Fortress Command. He had been busy with contact with the 18th Division and the *** country in the communications office of the staff room, and found ways to solve the dilemma of the 18th Division.

The Adjutant of Staff rushed in with a frightened look, and shouted without hesitation: "Commander, it is a naval base, they... they were attacked by the Chinese airboat troops and suffered heavy losses!"

Otani Kikuzo's face suddenly became gloomy. He put down all the work in his hand and walked quickly outside the staff room. Many officers from the Lushun Fortress Command followed him closely, and everyone's face was extremely difficult to see. The troubles of the 18th Division and the Second Fleet had not been resolved. Unexpectedly, Lushun Fortress was in trouble again!

When he arrived outside the headquarters compound, Otani Kikuzo looked at the naval base not far south. The entire naval base was now like a ball of fire in the dark night, and the fire had already submerged all the outlines. He clenched his fists secretly, but said nothing for a moment, and kept thinking about how to deal with the Chinese air force.

Colonel Koto Village of Intelligence said angrily: "The Chinese are really bold and reckless. They dare to launch such a sneak attack. General, if we don't act, the naval base will be over!"

"Yes, yes, the strategic materials of the 18th Division and the supplies used to maintain the Second Fleet for three years are not a small number!"

"The cruise ship 'Songshou Maru' is also in the port, which is the official cruise ship purchased by Prince Karen Aigong."

"The third garrison has already rushed over, and the other troops are still gathering, but... but at present, it will be useless even if the garrisons are rushed over." Colonel Matsumoto, the 9th Infantry Brigade of the Fifth Division, said solemnly.

"Give me peace of mind!" Otani Kikuzo suddenly shouted loudly.

Everyone present immediately remained silent, but the anxious expression on everyone's face continued to decrease.

"The naval base is no longer able to rescue it. The Chinese airships will obviously find fuel warehouses, ammunition warehouses and material warehouses. Once these warehouses are bombed, the explosion will affect the entire naval base. We have no air defense force now, so we will continue to send reinforcements to the naval base to die. I have passed my order, all the personnel from the naval base will retreat. As for the rescue matters, wait until the airship leaves, and then organize another arrangement." Otani Kikuzo continued. This was his decision after careful consideration. The air strike was too hasty, and the firepower of the airship dropped was very strong, so there was no time to rescue it.

"General, can you just let it go? That's a naval base." Someone asked in surprise.

"Don't say this nonsense anymore. While the naval base can delay these airships for a while, order all garrisons to step up the defense of the headquarters and the fortress. Matsumoto, you personally draw the headquarters guards to deploy defenses and use the high slope terrain to build heavy machine guns and cannons. At present, we can only have this ancient way!" Kikuzo Otani ordered seriously.

"General? What do you mean, will they come to bomb this place?" Colonel Matsumoto asked in surprise, and the others behind him were also surprised, looking at Otani Kikuzo with confusion.

"Everyone carefully check the situation there. The airships bombard the naval base for up to twenty to thirty minutes. As long as they destroy enough critical facilities, the naval base will be completely scrapped. There is still plenty of time and ammunition in the future, and they will definitely come to invade our Lushun Fortress. What's more, even if they don't come, we must also prepare for the fight!" Kikuzo Otani said seriously.
Chapter completed!