Sado Island is an integral part of the Japanese archipelago. Sado Island is the sixth largest island in Japan, after Honshu Island, Hokkaido Island, Kyushu Island, Shikoku Island and Okinawa Island. It is located in the Sea of ??Japan, covering an area of ??855 square kilometers, and has a mild climate. Sado Island has been a place of exile for Japanese nobles since ancient times. Gold is produced on the island, and the Sado gold mine was discovered in 1601. It was once the largest gold mining area in Japan. One of the three major gold mountains in the Edo period, the gold production of Sado Gold Mountain accounted for half of Japan's entire gold production. Sado Island covers an area of ??857 square kilometers. Population 88,000. There are two parallel mountains running northeast-southwest, with a plain in between. The highest point is 1172 meters. The Kunaka Plain is located between two parallel mountain ranges - the Osado Mountains and the Kosado Hills.
After the outbreak of the Pacific War, the island became a base with fortifications. In addition, when the Chinese aircraft carrier attacked Sado Island from August 15 to 16, 1944, Chinese aircraft conducted advance reconnaissance and bombing of Sado Island. From the photos taken by the reconnaissance aircraft, the runways of the two airports are clear. Now, Sado Island's fate was sealed. In his office at Dalian Port, Shen Honglie drew arrows pointing toward the heart of Japan on a map of the Western Pacific. Sado Island is on the route passed by this arrow. It may become an outpost for China to attack the Japanese mainland. To do this, the Japanese defenses here must first be lifted.
On April 1, 1946, the devastating air offensive began. These air attacks were carried out by Super Fortress "Hongyan" heavy bombers flying from China. These super flying fortresses are no exception and must be visited every day. The military generals are not all idiots. They knew the Chinese were about to make a surprise landing. On March 8, the Japanese army evacuated all residents on the island and built fortifications as quickly as possible. The escort fighters of the huge flying fortress comprehensively swept away the weak Japanese defense facilities on Sado Island. But the Japanese were not discouraged at all. The bomber scouts were dismayed to see the Japanese gradually repairing the fortifications that were being damaged every day. Moreover, the Japanese are building a third airport (I don¡¯t know what kind of aircraft they will use), and the firepower of the ground air defense forces is getting more intense day by day. Chinese pilots believe this is admirable. On February 10, the irresistible Chinese war machine began to move.
According to the order of the Chinese Navy Command, a task force consisting of 11 heavy aircraft carriers, 5 light aircraft carriers (a total of 1,500 aircraft) and 81 destroyers set off from the Chinese mainland. It did not go directly to Sado Island. It first attacked a number of airfields in the interior of Japan to reduce the risk of interference during a landing.
On April 12, the 2nd Squadron of the Task Force also set off from China. But this force headed directly for Sado Island. It consists of the heavy aircraft carriers "Xuanyuan" and "Shennong". Composed of 12 escort aircraft carriers, 3 cruisers, and 24 destroyers. A few hours later, an "artillery support" group composed of six escort battleships participated.
On April 16, a surprise preparatory bombing began, and on the evening of the 18th, the task force entered the battle. In addition, there are some transport ships. More than 1,000 warships gathered in front of Sado Island.
The landing site was the northwest beach. In the early morning of February 19, planes bombed the coast in this area. At 7:30, the first batch of assault echelon personnel left the transport ship. Embark on a landing craft and amphibious tractor. The bombing that started at 8 o'clock was extremely violent. The Chinese warship sailed to the waters 1,000 meters away from the coast of Sado Island and fired directly at the island. Marine Corps female sergeant Guan Ying boarded a landing craft and she will report the battle from "live". She later boarded a special tractor towed by a jeep. According to the opinions of all Chinese listeners, Guan Ying was completely successful: "Her reports were far more touching than the explosions of bombs and artillery shells, and the loud noises made by the aircraft fleet when they dived." In millions of Chinese families, , everyone is listening to Guan Ying's communication report broadcast multiple times on different bands: "This is Sado Island. A cliff forms on the right side of the coast. There is a cement bunker built on the top of the cliff. The mouth of the bunker was smoked due to the explosion of gunpowder. It was dark. The continuous firing of our army's artillery shells raised a large number of waves. Sado Island behind the beach completely turned into a fire island" The depth of Sado Island beach is only a few meters; there is a steep rock formation with a height of 1 to 2 meters. There are steps, and there is a smooth slope behind the steps. Another step appears after the slope. Chinese dive bombers tried their best to blow up these steps to open a gap for armored vehicles and other military vehicles to advance. Fighters were strafing the beach, and landing craft used rocket-propelled grenades. At 8:30, the first batch of landing craft began to sail towards the beach, and the other landing craft continued to advance one after another at intervals of two minutes. The order of landing is: the first batch is equipped with 75mm caliber mortars and machine guns; the second batch is troop transport landing craft; the third batch is tanks and bulldozers, and the last is the landing of logistics and medical personnel. 8:40. An air force composed of "Hongyan" heavy bombers and aircraft carrier dive bombers frantically attacked the entire northwest area of ??Sado Island. The Chinese warships fired barrages at the beach. The warship's artillery firing range reached a depth of 500 meters. ???Under this bombardment, Sado Island was silent. A screen of white, black and yellow smoke rose from the beach. At 9 o'clock sharp, the first batch of Chinese marines landed. They jumped off the landing craft and dragged mortars and machine guns on the beach. The black sand was as fine as soot and was buried on the ankles of the soldiers, causing the only difficulty in advancing. A large number of soldiers landed on the beach of Sado Island amid the sound of bombing, "as peacefully as during a military exercise."
At 10 o'clock, pillars of fire rose from the landing craft, and an amphibious landing craft was hit by a bomb. Soon, it disappeared on the sea surface. Some Chinese soldiers also fell on the beach. The Japanese waiting deep in the beach opened fire on at least 3,000 Chinese troops who landed on the beach. At the same time, the bare Sado Island burst into flames, and bombs destroyed everything on the ground. However, the underground fortifications of Sado Island became a very scary place. It was stocked with artillery and machine guns. A deadly flame suddenly swept up from the desolate ground, and Japanese artillery fired in all directions. The Chinese army, which had already crossed the first row of bunkers, was attacked from both sides. As they turned to fight back, they came under fire from the second row of bunkers. Other bunkers also opened fire in all directions. At the same time, the lower beaches and dinghies came under a barrage of mortar fire. The first Chinese tanks and bulldozers landed on the beach under fire, and they immediately did their best to knock down those obstacles that had survived the dive bomber bombardment. Chinese marines managed to get close to the exposed bunkers and destroyed them with flamethrowers.
Due to the stubborn resistance of the Japanese army, the Chinese army advanced at an unbelievably slow pace, and sometimes even stagnated. The problem lies in encircling and destroying the Japanese positions around them one by one. On the small beachhead, the most difficult areas are undoubtedly the beach and the water in front of the beach. In the early afternoon, the tank landing craft decided to stay out of range. Mechanized landing craft and small landing craft shuttled between the tank landing craft and the beach with relatively weak firepower.
The Chinese soldiers on the ship watched the assault on Sado Island so comfortably on the deck. The radio report continued, and the telescope showed the entire landing scene, with strong winds and rolling waves. When a tank landing craft enters the waters in this area, it will be difficult to maneuver and park normally on the beach. The soldiers of the light equipment group waded forward, but they fell back while the landing craft approached the beach. The landing gangplank was lowered and the artillery and carriers advanced with the help of the soldiers. Sudden. Waves of sand and dust stirred up around them, the soldiers dispersed, and some fell down. Looking further into the distance, a group of people were dragging a cannon hard, its wheels sinking into the soft sand. Behind them, there was another group of soldiers carrying heavy boxes. Troops continued to pour onto the shore, and as soon as the boats were lowered onto the landing deck, the soldiers hurriedly jumped out of the boats. Running hard in the fine sand. Then they slowed down and started walking. When the small boat retracted the landing ramp and prepared to return, another landing boat stopped at the same place. The sea surface stirred up bunches of water jets, and Japanese artillery shells continued to fall into the nearby water, so the newly arrived landing craft had to retreat, circling on the sea surface, preparing to anchor farther away from the beach. Japanese artillery bombarded the beach, causing waves of sand and soil to splash. A number of destroyed and out-of-combat amphibious landing craft, large trucks, jeeps and anti-tank rocket launchers were parked on the beach. To cover the landing troops and avoid casualties. Warships continue to bring weapons and equipment. Similarly, ambulance crews kept going back and forth among the various ordnance debris to pick up the wounded who were half-buried in the black sand.
According to the plan, the Chinese army should capture Sado Island within five days, but. On the evening of February 19, the troops had not completed a quarter of the expected distance on the first day. 1,200 wounded were evacuated, and the death toll is unknown. 50,000 troops landed on the island, and so many soldiers were crowded into a small place in the southwest of the island. At night, the Chinese fleet conducted a strong and continuous bombardment of Sado Island. However, the shells could not reach the nearest Japanese positions near the troops. Early the next morning, aircraft from the aircraft carrier launched another sortie, dive bombing Japanese strongholds exposed on the ground, and did not stop until night. Despite this, the ground troops only advanced a distance of 300 to 350 meters that day. Some bunkers could only be destroyed using flamethrowers and field artillery. The Japanese bunkers closest to the coast still controlled the beach, forcing the Chinese army's landing plan to be postponed. On the 21st, the attack on the island was still very slow, but the situation on the beach improved. The Japanese artillery firepower was no longer as powerful and intensive as before. A large number of Chinese tanks landed on the beach. Everyone felt that once the troops landed, they could take a breather and adjust their ranks. Throughout the battle, the aircraft carrier kept a certain distance from the southern part of Sado Island, and only sent aircraft to attack Sado Island. The flight's range is constantly scanned by radar. At nearly 17:00, some suspicious spots appeared on the fluorescent screen, but for some unknown reason, the reception signal was interfered with within a few minutes. 17:00 sharp, firstA Japanese kamikaze plane crashed into the deck of the "Shen Nong".
The concept of suicide machines arose in Japan before the war. It is not a product of modern propaganda. For all Japanese and most Japanese civilians who belong to the samurai group of Japan's feudal society: no ending can be more in line with their wishes than dying for the motherland. Glory on earth and entering the heaven of ancestors are the best rewards for this desire. When Japan's situation becomes difficult, Japanese commanders will inevitably use this emotionally legitimate means.
The propaganda slogan proposed for the special Japanese flying force is: "One aircraft for one ship. The reputation will last forever." As long as a plane explodes on a Chinese warship, the warship can be destroyed or the warship will lose control. As the warships suffered heavy losses, the morale of the Chinese soldiers would be low and they would give up the idea of ??continuing the war.
Many kamikaze fighters were quickly accepted as members of the kamikaze force. For this, they received benefits and special honors, and at the same time, it also added glory to their families. During their lifetime, they were all national heroes. During the final attack, they can wear traditional dress. As for their technical training, it is extremely simplified, because their task is: once the target is discovered. Just attack with all your strength regardless, until the target is destroyed. As a result, especially at the outset, Aerial Suicide Squad turned out to be far less ideal than originally imagined. However, from the perspective of the Chinese Navy, this offensive is a very dangerous and difficult stage. Because the air kamikaze got the order to attack the aircraft carrier first.
On April 21, 1944, at nearly 17:00, three kamikaze planes crashed into the deck of the heavy aircraft carrier "Shennong". Although the "Shen Nong" did not receive any fatal blows, it had to retreat. Instantly. Two more kamikaze planes rushed towards the deck of the escort aircraft carrier "Baoji". Soldiers on other warships clearly saw in the dim twilight that fire appeared on the mothership after the impact. The soldiers took advantage of the wind direction. Several explosions were heard, and flames were sprayed from other aircraft carriers as planes hit the decks. After the "Baoji" was hit, measures were taken to abandon the ship, but two hours later, the aircraft carrier was buried at the bottom of the sea.
There were no signs of attacks by other kamikaze aircraft on the forward positions of Sado Island, but even if there were, they would not have a big impact.
The day to capture Sado Island was set for February 23. The Japanese resistance never stopped for a moment, and the bunkers on the island were cleverly distributed. The Chinese army has always been difficult to deal with. Therefore, the Chinese army reorganized the landing force and formulated a technical plan to destroy the fortification system. On this mountain cone base located in the southwest of the island, 160 bunkers packed with Japanese were sealed. The Chinese soldiers blocked the entrance to the bunker with concrete and used bulldozers to roll up several cubic meters of earth to cover the bunker again, but the Japanese still succeeded in digging some graves: the fighting resumed. The urgent question is before these bunkers can be sealed. Are the Chinese troops going to pour poison gas into the bunker? The headquarters gave up the use of poison gas because they were afraid that after the Japanese army got the news, they would carry out terrible revenge on the Chinese prisoners. So, the 23rd. One hundred and eighty bunkers were sealed and covered with concrete and earth. The other 200 more accessible bunkers were destroyed by a variety of means including flamethrowers, chemical weapons, howitzers, and rocket launchers dropped from aircraft or fired from trucks. The main difficulty was those bunkers that suddenly appeared, because these bunkers were not easy to find without shooting, and the Chinese thought that these places had been "mopped", but a burst of crazy shooting knocked down many of them. On the 24th, a large number of tanks entered the battle, but many tanks were destroyed by mines. On this day, the Chinese army's goal was the airport closest to the coast of the island. In front of the airport, there are 800 Japanese strongholds covering each other arranged in a 1,000-meter-long open area. A similar defense system has never been discovered in any country in any era. Each bunker has a thick iron door made of iron. There is a cannon with a track in the bunker. Once the iron door is opened, the iron door of the bunker automatically closes.
The most effective weapon against these underground forts is the rocket launcher on the aircraft, but the target must be correctly assigned to the pilot, that is, the position of each bunker exposed on the ground must be accurately determined to make these targets obvious. In order to adapt to this battlefield, we must have an extremely complete and complex communication system, and we must have a hugely expensive, powerful and advanced industry. Initially planning to seize Sado Island within five days, the Chinese revised the combat plan based on the actual situation, proposing to minimize sacrifices during the operation and maximize the use of weapon advantages. The main force of the Chinese task force returned to Vladivostok, leaving the escort aircraft carrier aircraft to bomb the bare and tangled land of Sado Island every day. The uneven ground here is covered with various destroyed metal debris. The line of sight was limited to a 100-meter-long range by a group of fireworks. Through the fireworks, you could vaguely see some people and a plane flying very low. There were two people in front of the crowd and the plane.A truck. In the back of the truck, some broken iron frames were smoking. A few meters away from the truck were soldiers covering their ears with their hands and wearing helmets.
ps: A young man complained to a friend: "What should I do? My mother doesn't like every girlfriend I bring home!" The friend quickly comforted: "This is easy, you just need to find a girl who is like her in all aspects." Your mother's is fine." The young man said pitifully: "I tried it, but my father doesn't like it!"