Chapter 358 Center Position Shooting Method
At the Humessen Airport in the German-controlled area, Major Immelmann had been promoted to colonel and was fully responsible for the airport's operations, although he did nothing but survived the French bombing.
But it seems to be enough.
The last bombing caused heavy losses to the airport. Only 128 of the 365 pilots survived, and some of them were probably not fit to fly planes due to their injuries.
Therefore, those who survive are the elite among the elites. For the few remaining elites, promotion is inevitable.
However, in Colonel Immelmann's view, his squadron leader was more like an artilleryman than an aviation brigade commander.
During this period he was always thinking about how to defend against the French bombing.
"If we cannot stop the enemy's bombing, the flying squadron will never be formed and will never develop," Colonel Immelmann told his subordinates. "Our air force will always lag behind France, which is not what we want to see."
"But, Colonel," one of his men objected, "Why can't we build up the air corps somewhere farther away and safer before moving it here?"
Colonel Immelman asked back, "What's the difference? After you are assembled, you can take off and intercept enemy bombers?"
The subordinates were stunned.
The French bombers were faster than the German fighters, so it would be pointless for them to take off and intercept them.
"Let me be clear about one thing." Colonel Yin Meiman glanced at the whole place and tapped the map heavily with his finger. "At present, we have only one way to deal with enemy bombers, and that is to shoot them down with machine guns and artillery. Only in this way can our airports survive and our planes continue to provide the necessary air cover for the front line."
Colonel Yin Meiman heard that the country had successfully developed a new aircraft that was faster than the enemy's bombers. He hoped that the news was true.
The subordinates answered one after another:
"Yes, Colonel."
"Understood, Colonel."
…
But things are often easier said than done.
An airplane is an object moving in three-dimensional space; it is not a two-dimensional ground target that can be hit by ordinary artillery.
For ground targets, the shells will hit the ground and explode regardless of whether they hit the target or not, and then generate huge shock waves and fragments to kill nearby enemies.
This is not the case with airplanes in three-dimensional space. If a shell fails to hit the target, it will continue to fly without exploding and, of course, will not cause any damage to the target.
(Note: Anti-aircraft artillery shells with time-delay fuses had not yet been invented at this time. Even with time-delay fuses, it was still very difficult to hit aerial targets. At this stage, fast aircraft were almost invincible.)
After thinking hard for several days, Colonel Yinmelman finally figured out a "center position shooting method".
He divided every ten cannons into a group, arranged these groups into a dense formation, and used the central cannon to determine the target position. After setting all the parameters, all the cannons fired together.
(Note: The "center position shooting method" was an actual air defense method used during World War I. At that time, aircraft suddenly developed rapidly while anti-aircraft firepower was extremely backward. In desperation, this method of using quantity to make up for accuracy was adopted. Ten shells were fired at a target at the same time, hoping to hit the target by chance.)
Colonel Immelmann mobilized hundreds of artillery pieces and positioned them in front of and behind the airport, waiting for the arrival of French bombers, just like weaving a big net.
…
On this day, when Colonel Immelman was discussing with his subordinates whether to add machine gun firepower at high altitude, the staff officer on the phone suddenly shouted to Colonel Immelman: "Enemy situation, Colonel! The enemy's bombers have taken off, there are more than 50 of them, and it is estimated that they will arrive in ten minutes!"
Colonel Yin Meiman's face turned pale instantly. With more than fifty planes, that would mean more than 1,000 bombs falling from the sky. Did they want to flatten the airport?
Colonel Yin Meiman suddenly realized that his deployment might not work, and more than a hundred artillery pieces might just be a drop in the bucket!
"Aircraft take off urgently!" Colonel Yin Meiman ordered: "Everyone prepare for battle!"
"Yes!" The staff officer hurriedly picked up the phone and conveyed the order.
The shrill air defense alarm sounded above the airport, and the entire airport became tense. Pilots rushed to their planes in groups of three or five. Under the guidance of ground crew, they drove the planes onto the runway and then took off with the roar of engines.
The logistics troops hurriedly transported the exposed fuel and ammunition into the underground warehouse. Some of the fuel and ammunition that could not be transported back in time were simply pushed into open areas to avoid affecting nearby buildings.
The nearby artillery also received the order. They rushed to the gun positions at the sound of urgent whistles and adjusted the muzzles to face the enemy planes under the commander's orders.
…
Soon, a faint rumbling sound was heard in the air, and a group of French bombers appeared in the aperture of Colonel Immelmann's telescope. They were as dark as a swarm of locusts, covering half of the sky.
"We also want such a bomber." Colonel Yin Meiman's eyes were full of resentment and a hint of envy: "In this way, we can let the French also taste the feeling of being bombed."
Then Colonel Yinmelmann realized something was wrong. These bombers did not seem to be flying towards him but to the side and rear.
He was confused as there seemed to be no airport in that direction.
Soon Colonel Immelman found out the answer: bombers flew over the Killeigh Steel Works and dropped rows of bombs.
The Kilray Steel Plant was only a dozen kilometers away from Colonel Yinmelmann's location. The explosion was clearly audible, and balls of flames and thick fog could be seen rising.
Colonel Immelmann sighed as he put away his binoculars. This was the advantage of bombers. They could choose their bombing locations at will, and all the preparations made by the German army were in vain.
…
Charles dispatched a total of 112 bombers, with each group of 56 bombing one steel plant.
There was a steel mill that was not targeted. It was close to the Western Front, only about one kilometer away in a straight line. This steel mill called Camonde was obviously easier to be recaptured by the French army.
The two steel mills that were targeted were not so lucky.
The steel mill under German control had no air defense preparations, and a large amount of coal used as fuel was piled up around the factory building. Unsurprisingly, the bombing ignited them and caused a fire.
Coal is resistant to burning and difficult to extinguish. The fire burned for several days and nights and eventually turned the steel plant into a pile of scrap iron.
…
Schneider Arsenal.
Paulina was stunned when she received the call. After a while, she turned her head to look at James at the desk and said in panic: "Sir, the French bombers just bombed our two steel mills. They have become ruins."
James was reviewing the production expansion plan for the Chauchat machine gun. When he heard this, the pen in his hand suddenly stopped.
At this moment, he understood why Charles thought he would sell the steel mill!
(End of this chapter)
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