Endo Ayumu was extremely nervous: he kept looking for planes without any damage. To his disappointment, every plane he inspected had finger-sized holes in its fuselage, more or less.

　　These holes weren't just one or two, but more than ten, even dozens. While Endo Ayumu was inspecting the planes, he even witnessed a string of holes suddenly appearing on the surface of one.

　　These were made by the Nationalist army's machine guns in the distance. In the darkness, the cross-shaped muzzle flashes could be clearly seen.

　　You could even see through these holes to the other side, showing that the bullets had pierced right through the plane.

　　Kinoshita Yuya finally found a plane with a seemingly intact surface; at least, he didn't see any holes on its skin.

　　Excited, Kinoshita Yuya climbed into the plane with the help of ground crew, and the engine roared to life.

　　He became the most eye-catching Japanese soldier in the entire airfield. Some of the other pilots didn't have time to search for planes and climbed directly into the nearest ones.

　　Despite the ground crew's busy assistance, they couldn't get all the planes' engines to run smoothly.

　　At this moment, Kinoshita Yuya was already driving his plane out of the parking apron and onto the runway.

　　Suddenly, a plane drove out of the parking apron, startling all three anti-aircraft machine gun companies that were sweeping the runway.

　　Wu Zhizhi, the company commander of the 11th Company of the 1st Battalion, grew anxious and loudly ordered, "Aim at that enemy plane and hit it hard!"

　　Not just his company, but the other two company commanders gave the same order. All thirty-six anti-aircraft machine guns opened fire on the enemy plane that had just driven from the parking apron onto the runway.

　　Feng Ruili, the 1st Company commander, loudly ordered, "All heavy machine guns, block the runway!" Regiment Commander Gu Xiuming commanded from the artillery position.

　　The airfield runway was under the command of Hua Deze of the 2nd Regiment. Commander Hua gave the same order: "Each company's heavy machine guns, immediately block the runway."

　　Each company in the current Lunan Detachment had six heavy machine guns. With ten infantry companies in a regiment, that made sixty heavy machine guns.

　　Now, with three regiments distributed around the runway, a full one hundred and eighty heavy machine guns were simultaneously firing, blocking the airfield runway.

　　Kinoshita Yuya, the pilot who had just driven his plane onto the runway, was excitedly adjusting the plane's direction, quickly pushing the throttle.

　　He wanted to take off as soon as possible. Just then, countless cross-shaped muzzle flashes suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead.

　　Then he heard the clanging sound of countless bullets hitting the plane. At the same time, the windshield in front of him suddenly shattered, struck by an unknown number of bullets.

　　A fierce wind rushed in, and the plane, which had just started accelerating, slowed down. Kinoshita Yuya felt the plane shaking, and his own body was shaking with it.

　　Suddenly, the nose of the plane tilted forward. He realized that the front wheel had been shot off.

　　His fantasy of flying into the sky had its wings broken before it even took flight. More bullets hit the plane.

　　Kinoshita Yuya had already been hit by an unknown number of bullets. The nose of the plane he was piloting plowed into the runway, digging a furrow like a plow.

　　Finally, it could plow no further, stopping on the runway and bursting into flames, lighting up half the runway.

　　Several planes that had followed it out were now hurriedly changing runways. These were all quick-thinking and accurate-judging Japanese pilots.

　　Seeing that Kinoshita Yuya's plane was already on fire on the runway, these pilots naturally dared not follow.

　　Tegoshi Iori, piloting a fighter plane, was the second Japanese soldier to drive onto the runway. Just as he emerged from behind Kinoshita Yuya, he immediately spotted the firing muzzles in the distance.

　　"It's over!" His plane was still accelerating, rushing towards those gun muzzles.

　　Tegoshi Iori's heart turned cold. If his plane were in the air, he might have a chance to avoid the dense gunfire.

　　But now his plane was still on the runway, its speed not yet built up, completely in a situation of being passively beaten.

　　He didn't even dare to attempt an evasive maneuver. If the plane were to swerve while accelerating on the runway, it wouldn't be seeking survival, but courting death.

　　In this situation, Tegoshi Iori could only close his eyes and try his best to push the throttle all the way.

　　He kept praying to all the gods and Buddhas, hoping they would bless him to take off smoothly.

　　Not just Tegoshi Iori, who was in the lead, but the planes behind him also spotted the dense gun muzzles in the distance.

　　And their planes had all been hit by machine gun bullets to varying degrees. Tenkai Naoki, piloting his fighter, didn't know how many bullets his plane had taken. He didn't even know how many times he himself had been shot.

　　The only thing Tenkai Naoki was clear about now was that his vision was getting increasingly blurry, even though Kinoshita Yuya's fighter was burning like a torch on the runway.

　　He still couldn't see clearly. Tenkai Naoki knew that this was due to excessive blood loss.

　　His life was flowing away with the blood. "I can't fly into the sky!" Tenkai Naoki was very clear about this.

　　However, he couldn't stop. If he stopped in the middle of the runway like this, the planes behind him would only be able to continue changing runways.

　　Every minute spent delaying on the runway meant sixty more seconds of danger. Tenkai Naoki pushed the throttle to the maximum, accelerating the plane to its fastest speed.

　　He was prepared to simply rush straight into the ranks that were still firing in the distance.

　　Tegoshi Iori was in the lead. As the plane sped faster and faster down the runway, it got closer and closer to the firing gun muzzles.

　　He then realized that the ranks ahead were actually positions established on the runway. If his plane wanted to take off, it would have to pass through those positions.

　　At this moment, Tegoshi Iori suddenly imagined the scene of the plane crushing through the Nationalist army's positions, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.

　　Feng Ruili, the 1st Company commander, saw that some of the Japanese planes on the runway had been blown up, some had been stopped, and several planes were still accelerating.

　　Anxious, he loudly ordered, "Rocket launchers! Blow up those bastards!"

　　A rocket flew out, dragging a red tail flame. The smile that had just appeared on Tegoshi Iori's face froze.

　　The nose of his plane was blown through, and the entire plane once again plowed into the ground like a plow.

　　Another plane, piloted by Tenkai Naoki, seemed to learn from this and plowed into the ground in the same way, before exploding and catching fire.

　　The runway at Xuzhou Airport was originally very wide, but now it was occupied by three planes that had exploded and caught fire. These planes were burning, and the debris from their explosions covered the entire runway.

　　Now, no more planes could break through the blockade of these three planes and soar into the sky.

　　Dense rockets also exploded on the parking apron. Endo Ayumu, who had been busy searching for intact planes for the pilots, was knocked to the ground by debris from a rocket explosion.

　　He fell to the ground, struggling to turn over, looking at the large crater that had suddenly appeared on the parking apron. The surrounding planes were scattered like after a typhoon.

　　"I can't find a single intact plane anymore," Endo Ayumu thought as his eyes reflected the flames on the ground. And then, he died.

　　"The Japanese planes can no longer take off," Hua Deze confidently reported to Regiment Commander Gu Xiuming.

　　With the intelligence he reported, Commander Gu directed the artillery to shift their targets, once again bombing the airport's oil depot, auxiliary facilities, and the Japanese camps guarding the airport.

　　This bombing didn't last long. After just two rounds of rocket bombing, it was time for the infantry to perform.

　　Thirty infantry companies, upon receiving the order to charge, quickly pushed their heavy machine guns forward.

　　This kind of terrain was most suitable for infantry company attacks. The small carts flew forward, blocking countless bullets and shells.

　　The soldiers followed behind these small carts, just charging forward, passing by the burning enemy planes.

　　They continued to charge forward. The three anti-aircraft machine gun companies, under the command of their respective leaders, had one soldier lift one leg and charge forward in combat formation.

　　It was, of course, very strenuous to advance in this way, but only by doing so could they enter combat the fastest.

　　And this charge wasn't very long, and it was all on flat ground. They were advancing on the runway. Although the runway had been damaged by enemy planes, it didn't affect their progress with the anti-aircraft machine guns very much.

　　Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto led his team to guard the parking apron. His company had also specially dug trenches and set up barbed wire around the parking apron.

　　But tonight, the attackers weren't the guerrilla infantry that he was mainly defending against, but shells falling from the sky.

　　This left the Japanese soldiers of Fujiyama Haruto's company watching helplessly as shells flew over, dragging tail flames, with no way to stop them.

　　The power of these shells was enormous, not only blasting the planes on the parking apron into disarray, but also blasting the planes into pieces.

　　After the ground crew and pilots who were working nervously on the parking apron were bombed by the sudden shelling, only a few Japanese soldiers were able to stand up.

　　Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto personally saw a Japanese soldier get up from the ground, walking crookedly, unable to walk in a straight line.

　　After walking ten or so steps, the Japanese soldier suddenly stopped, opened his mouth and spat out several mouthfuls of blood, and then fell to the ground, never to get up again.

　　Many of the Japanese soldiers in Fujiyama Haruto's company also rushed onto the parking apron, helping to find planes, pushing aside planes that were in the way, and creating conditions for the pilots to take off.

　　Now, they had all fallen on the parking apron. Even the Japanese soldiers hiding in the trenches were killed by the shelling.

　　When the shelling shifted to another direction, Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto quickly ordered the Japanese soldiers who had fortunately survived to rush onto the parking apron and rescue the wounded.

　　Several planes were burning like torches, with raging flames soaring into the sky. The wind fueled the fire, and the fire fueled the wind. The crackling sound of the burning was accompanied by terrifying heat.

　　Even the Japanese soldiers who were a little closer to the fire had already caught fire. The soldiers who were further away were struggling to crawl on the ground, trying to get away from these burning planes.

　　What Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto couldn't accept was that while his team was rescuing the wounded,

　　bullets were constantly sweeping over from the runway. Three planes were burning in the middle of the runway, and these burning planes blocked Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto's vision.

　　He hadn't realized that the Lunan Detachment had already begun to charge. Only after several companies simultaneously rushed past the blockade set up by the three burning planes did Fujiyama Haruto realize that guerrilla infantry was attacking tonight.

　　In normal times, Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto would have welcomed guerrilla infantry attacking Xuzhou Airport.

　　Because he had always believed that the guerrillas had extremely poor combat power, and that their attack on the airport was just to send him combat merits.

　　But tonight was different. The entire airport was in deep trouble. Fujiyama Haruto's company had already suffered more than half casualties, and even the surviving Japanese soldiers had completely lost their fighting spirit.

　　In this situation, how could his company still fight? But the enemy had already charged up, and Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto had no choice but to fight.

　　Squad Leader Tanino Keita understood the moment the airport was bombed: the patrol dogs kept barking during the patrol, and they had really discovered someone outside the airport.

　　Unfortunately, he didn't understand animal language and didn't understand the true meaning of the dogs' barking. Now it was too late.

　　He could only lead his entire squad to hide at the beginning of the runway, watching as the dormitory behind him collapsed, watching as the entire company of Japanese soldiers was buried in the collapsed dormitory.

　　Squad Leader Tanino Keita also saw the scramble on the parking apron, saw the planes driving out of the parking apron and onto the runway, becoming individual torches.

　　He believed that the battle tonight would not end like this. Squad Leader Tanino Keita ordered his men to immediately establish a defense line at the runway.

　　Preparing to snipe the Nationalist army that was coming to attack. He now believed that the attackers of the airport tonight would definitely not be guerrillas.

　　Only the regular Nationalist army had such strength. So many cannons were no less than the airport garrison's cannons.

　　Commander Awawa Masaya could do nothing during the intense artillery bombardment. After making a call for reinforcements, he had been cowering in the command post.

　　The ground was constantly shaking, and Japanese soldiers kept reporting: A house has collapsed! Another house has collapsed!

　　When he heard that fighter planes had already rushed onto the runway, his heart soared with the planes.

　　Thinking that when the planes began to attack the raiders' artillery positions, he would definitely send ground troops to try to keep the Nationalist army's heavy artillery regiment.

　　His heart had been soaring in the sky for a long time, but his planes had been shot down. Not a single plane had rushed into the sky! Not a single plane had rushed into the sky!

　　This made Commander Awawa Masaya lose all composure. He threw things around in the command post, throwing everything he could see and pick up at the staff officer who came to report.

　　Fortunately, the bombing finally stopped. But this good news didn't make the Japanese soldiers happy for long.

　　Before the rescue work at the entire airport had even begun, Commander Awawa Masaya received a new report: Tens of thousands of Nationalist army infantry had rushed into the airport. They had already rushed past the runway and were approaching the command post.

　　This was frightening news for Commander Awawa Masaya: "Hold them! Hold them! Order all Japanese soldiers to go to the front line!"

　　"Get me the Independent Mixed 17th Brigade!" Commander Awawa Masaya ordered.

　　But disappointing news quickly came back: "The telephone lines were cut during the bombing. The airport has lost contact with the rear."

　　This was another piece of sad news for him. Commander Awawa Masaya flew into a rage again and loudly ordered, "Signal corps! What are they doing? Immediately start repairing the telephone lines!"

　　"Send telegrams! To Xuzhou, to Jinan, to the North China Area Army Headquarters! Ask them for help!"

　　Commander Awawa Masaya had no other choice but to ask for help. He had a battalion of infantry under his command, and they were now fighting separately, all sent to the runway to snipe the enemy.

　　Even the Japanese soldiers who were ground crew and logistics support in the airport were all sent to the front lines by Commander Awawa Masaya.

　　The next thing to consider was whether to hold out or temporarily retreat back to Xuzhou City?

　　Judging from the gunshots that were currently being heard, the attacking forces had not completely surrounded Xuzhou Airport, and had left him a way out.

　　To go or to stay? That was the question!

　　The Japanese soldiers of Fujiyama Haruto's company, who were still holding out on the parking apron, finally made contact with the 1st Company that had rushed up.

　　The moment they made contact, Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto began to complain: The team on the opposite side had six carts in the front.

　　These carts looked like crates, square and unremarkable.

　　But when bullets hit these carts, they only caused sparks and made clanging sounds.

　　Gunfire couldn't stop the advance of these carts at all, and there was also a heavy machine gun on these carts, constantly firing.

　　"What kind of weapon is this?" Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto watched the approaching carts in bewilderment.

　　No matter what kind of weapon it was, any weapon that could hit the Japanese soldiers was a good weapon! That was what the anti-aircraft machine gun company led by Company Commander Wu Zhizhi thought.

　　Their company had only recently received anti-aircraft machine guns. Most of the soldiers in the entire company had put down their rifles and machine guns and focused on practicing with this large gun.

　　They had already seen the power of the machine gun when they had shot at the Japanese planes from a thousand meters away. Now, the anti-aircraft machine guns began to fire at the Japanese soldiers from a distance of less than two hundred meters.

　　The Japanese soldiers hiding in the trenches couldn't even lift their heads. The Japanese soldiers of Fujiyama Haruto's company had already been unable to fight back because of the heavy machine guns that had rushed up.

　　Now, they were being swept by the twelve machine guns that had rushed up behind them carrying anti-aircraft machine guns. Even if they hid behind sandbags, they couldn't hold out for long.

　　The sandbags were pierced by the continuous fire of the anti-aircraft machine gun bullets, and the Japanese soldiers hiding behind them were torn in two.

　　At this point, Wu Zhizhi truly recognized the power of his company's twelve machine guns.

　　The Japanese soldiers of Fujiyama Haruto's company also experienced a dangerous situation. Their situation was very awkward now.

　　If they held their ground, there was fierce machine gun fire in the distance, and they couldn't even lift their heads.

　　If they abandoned their position, Fujiyama Haruto's company couldn't even run out of the trenches. They could only huddle in their positions, lying flat.

　　Waiting for the charging team to enter the trenches and engage in a desperate struggle.

　　Feng Ruili, the 1st Company commander who had charged up, also had this idea. Now, it wasn't just the 1st Company that was attacking this area of the parking apron, but the entire 1st Regiment.

　　Tonight, Commander Gu had plenty of troops at his disposal, with a full four regiments and more than eight thousand men coming to destroy Xuzhou Airport.

　　Perhaps they had different understandings of the word "destroy," Commander Gu believed that occupying Xuzhou Airport first would make its destruction more thorough.

　　In addition, there were two other regiments attacking the airport's command center, oil depot, and other locations, and the 8th Regiment was still serving as a rearguard in front of the artillery positions, while also serving as a reserve force for the attacking troops.

　　Using a full regiment to deal with a Japanese company was a real big move by the Lunan Detachment this time.

　　Company Commander Fujiyama Haruto's wish had come true. A full thousand soldiers rushed into the trenches defended by his company.

　　This company, which had already suffered heavy casualties, originally had fewer than a hundred Japanese soldiers left who could fight. When the soldiers of the 1st Regiment rushed up, it was as if a wave had washed over them, and Fujiyama Haruto's company was completely wiped out.

　　The soldiers of the 1st Regiment didn't stop there. They continued to advance into the depths. There was still the Japanese oil depot and the Japanese camp ahead. The battle continued.

　　The defense line that Squad Leader Tanino Keita had established with his Japanese soldiers on the side of the runway was quickly encountered by the attack of the 2nd Regiment.

　　Regiment Commander Hua Deze of the 2nd Regiment commanded the carts of the 2nd Regiment to form a line of steel defense in front.

　　They just kept pushing forward. The Japanese gunfire was helpless against this kind of defense line. Behind this line of steel defense, there were also twelve anti-aircraft machine guns firing.

　　Specially used to strike the Japanese soldiers, this made the Japanese soldiers defending here very uncomfortable: They were only allowed to be beaten, and not allowed to fight back!

　　A large number of Japanese soldiers had been added to Squad Leader Tani Keita's position.

　　Most of the Japanese soldiers in the entire battalion had been sent here by Commander Awawa Masaya. Among these Japanese soldiers were those who still had grenade launchers and those who had mortars.

　　In a hurry, these Japanese soldiers began to attack the charging troops. At this time, whether it was grenade launchers or mortars, it was too close to strike the charging troops in front.

　　The ten companies of the 2nd Regiment were lined up like a long snake formation, the entire regiment pressing forward, occupying most of the runway.

　　Squad Leader Tanino Keita, who was defending in front of them, was horrified to discover that no matter how they attacked, the opposing team had not slowed down at all.

　　This made their defense very difficult. They watched helplessly as the enemy pressed on, the distance shrinking from one hundred meters to thirty meters.

　　There were also dozens of heavy machine guns sweeping on this approaching steel defense line, making it impossible for the Japanese soldiers on the front line to fight back.

　　That wasn't all. Seeing that the distance to the Japanese defense line was only thirty meters, Olezhi, the 1st Company commander of the 2nd Regiment, ordered, "Hand grenades!"